(WSPA) — Robert John May III, a former South Carolina State Representative, has agreed to plead guilty to five counts of distributing child pornography.

May, who represented House District 88 in Lexington County since 2021, was arrested in April and booked into the Lexington County Detention Center. He was also one of the co-founders of the conservative group in the State House known as the Freedom Caucus.

The investigation into May began when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a cyber-tip from the social messaging app Kik, where he was using the alias “joebidennnn69.” Authorities connected the account to May’s home IP address and mobile device, identifying at least 10 videos depicting child sexual abuse that were shared from the account.

Following his arrest, the South Carolina House of Representatives suspended May without pay, and he resigned on August 11.

On Wednesday, during a federal court hearing, May represented himself and filed several motions, including requests to dismiss evidence and relocate his trial out of Columbia. He also challenged the validity of the search warrant for his home and phone and accused investigators of inconsistencies in their affidavit and testimony.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said May’s plea agreement was filed Friday but will still need to be approved by a judge on Monday. If approved, the judge will decide if he is facing consecutive or concurrent sentences.

Each charge carries a sentence of five to 20 years and a maximum fine of $250,000.