Far-right South Carolina lawmaker arrested amid child exploitation probe

A far-right state lawmaker in South Carolina has been arrested amid an investigation into potential child exploitation, according to reports.

State Rep. RJ May III was arrested on Wednesday outside his West Columbia home by federal and state law enforcement agents, The State reported, citing a source. His arrest comes after the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the state seized computer hardware at his home, including a laptop, tablet, four cell phones, four hard drives, four SD cards, two DVD-Rs, and 19 thumb drives.

Charges were expected to be revealed as early as Thursday. The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department temporarily listed Robert John May, 38, in custody at its jail on Wednesday afternoon, according to the report. The listing has since been taken down.

May’s wife, Beth, was at the home when he was arrested, according to FitsNews.

RJ May has represented District 88 since 2020 and is widely recognized as a founding member and former vice chairman of the state's Freedom Caucus, known for its ultra-conservative, pro-Trump MAGA positions. He was asked to leave the caucus before this year's legislative session, but has continued to vote in alignment with the group.