State Rep. RJ May gets taxpayer-financed lawyer in child sex material cases

In recent years, accused child sex material trafficker Robert “RJ” May III had no trouble flying to Colombia and paying young sex workers to ply their trade with him, according to federal court filings.

But Tuesday in federal court, dressed in an orange-and-white striped jail jump suit, May — a Lexington County state representative — pleaded poverty and asked a federal magistrate judge to appoint a taxpayer-financed lawyer for him. May is being kept at the Edgefield County Detention Center.

“I have asked the court to appoint a lawyer, Your Honor,” May, a Republican, told U.S. Magistrate Judge Shiva Hodges.

May told court officials that he had a pickup truck in his name but no equity in his house or any other assets.

According to Lexington County tax records, May owns a 2017 Chevrolet Suburban on which the county is charging him $659 in taxes. His house in West Columbia on Lake Frances Dr. is in the name of his wife, Elisabeth Ruth Slawson, and is valued at $229,000, according to county tax records.

Afterwards, Hodges said, “I am going to appoint the federal public defender’s office to represent you.”

Jenny Smith, an attorney with the public defender’s office, was in the courtroom and will be representing May. She declined to answer questions.

Smith replaces Dayne Phillips, a private attorney who has been representing May up to now.

Hodges said in open court that judicial officials had received an email from Phillips saying he was no longer retained by May.

Defendants in federal court must have a lawyer to represent them. Basically, a defendant must be unable to afford a lawyer. Defendants list their assets and income under penalty of perjury and can be prosecuted for false statements.

Hodges also announced that May’s case will be presided over by U.S. Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, a former prosecutor.

May, 39, a heavyset man who was handcuffed with belly and ankle chains, made no other statements and did not speak with reporters in the small courtroom at the federal courthouse, a mile across town from the ornate State House where he once held sway, something of a mover and shaker in far right Republican circles.

May, a public relations consultant whose firm Ivory Tusk Consulting was hired by numerous public officials, was suspended from his office by House Speaker Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, after his indictment on alleged sex crimes earlier this month.

A federal grand jury on June 10 charged May with 10 felony counts of distributing child sex material, commonly called child porn. He could be sentenced to up to 20 years in federal prison.

Basically, the indictment and other filings accused May of leading a secret life where he traded child pornography in chat groups on the internet.

May’s alleged secret life stands in stark contrast to the model conservative citizen and man of the world he held himself out to be, a married man with two young children, Phi Beta Kappa at the University of South Carolina, a master’s degree from Tel Aviv University, a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar and a member of the National Rifle Association, according to the latest Legislative Manual.

According to federal court filings, May traveled to the South American nation of Colombia three times between April 2023 and July 2024.

“Law enforcement located nine videos on May’s laptop that showed him engaged in the exchange of money with three different females prior to him having sex with them in Colombia,” one prosecution filing said. “May ... set up meetings with female sex workers in advance of his travels to Medellin and Bogota.”

Federal prosecutors Scott Matthews and Dean Secor are representing the government in this case. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.

May has been behind bars since early June, when he was indicted and denied bond for being a danger to the community and a potential flight risk. He is likely to stay incarcerated until he goes on trial or pleads guilty.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

This story was originally published June 24, 2025 at 12:13 PM.