Prosecutors want 20-year sentence for ex-South Carolina lawmaker for sharing child sex abuse videos
ABC News • • nation
Key Points:
- Former South Carolina legislator RJ May faces sentencing for distributing hundreds of child sexual abuse videos on social media, despite having advocated for child protection laws.
- Prosecutors are seeking a 20-year prison term, citing May's actions as hypocritical and harmful to hundreds of victims, while federal guidelines recommend 17 to 22 years.
- May, who pleaded guilty to a “five-day child pornography spree,” requests a five-year sentence, attributing his behavior to pornography addiction and testosterone treatments, and expresses remorse.
- Victims' statements highlight ongoing trauma from the widespread sharing of the videos, and May must pay $72,000 in restitution, register as a sex offender for life, and lose voting and gun ownership rights.
