COLUMBIA, S.C. () – A federal grand jury in Greenville has issued a 10-count indictment against Robert John May III, aged 38 and residing in West Columbia, accusing him of distributing material related to child sexual abuse.

May is a South Carolina State Representative and one of the co-founders of the Freedom Caucus.

The group released a statement on Facebook supporting May:

Based on court documents and statements presented in court, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a cyber-tip in April 2024 stemming from the social messaging platform Kik.

Kik flagged several videos from the username “joebidennnn69” as containing child sexual abuse.

Investigators traced the account back to May’s residential IP address and mobile device, discovering more than 10 videos of child sexual exploitation material shared from this account.

May faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison with a minimum of five years, a fine of $250,000, and a term of at least five years of supervised release to follow any term of imprisonment.

He is due in court Thursday morning.