A Republican member of the South Carolina state home who prosecutors say used the display screen identify “joebidennnn69” agreed on Friday to plead responsible to distributing sexual abuse materials involving youngsters.
RJ Could signed court docket papers to alter his plea a couple of days after a listening to throughout which prosecutors laid out how they might current their proof in Could’s trial in October. Could, who doesn’t have a legislation diploma, is performing as his personal legal professional.
The Republican, who resigned earlier this 12 months, is accused of utilizing “joebidennnn69” to trade 220 totally different recordsdata of toddlers and younger youngsters concerned in intercourse acts on the Kik social media community for about 5 days in spring 2024, based on court docket paperwork that graphically detailed the movies. Joe Biden, a Democrat, was within the last days of his presidency on the time.
Could, 38, is pleading responsible to 5 counts and faces 5 to twenty years in jail on every cost. He should register as a intercourse offender and could possibly be fined as much as $250,000, based on his plea settlement.
Could is scheduled to be in federal court docket on Monday to formally change his plea. He has been in jail since June after a decide refused bond following his arrest.
Could acted as his personal legal professional at a listening to that included prosecutors exhibiting charts explaining in stark, factual methods what was on every video Could is charged with distributing.
Through the listening to, Could made arguments to the decide to throw out the warrant used to go looking his residence, laptop computer and cell gadgets. The decide had not dominated on the request earlier than Could approached prosecutors about pleading responsible on Wednesday.
Might also was attempting to maintain out any proof about whether or not he used a faux identify to journey to Colombia thrice. Prosecutors mentioned they discovered movies on his laptop computer of him allegedly having intercourse with three individuals. A US homeland safety agent testified the individuals seemed to be underage ladies and had been paid. US brokers haven’t been in a position to find the individuals.
Prosecutors mentioned they linked Could to importing and downloading the kid sexual abuse movies by exhibiting he multitasked, emailing work recordsdata, making cellphone calls and performing internet searches as a part of his job as a political guide as he was on Kik asking for “Unhealthy mothers. Unhealthy dads. Unhealthy pre teenagers.”
Could was in his third time period within the South Carolina home when he was arrested. After his election in 2020, he helped create the Freedom caucus, a bunch of the home’s most conservative members who say mainstream Republicans within the chamber aren’t the true conservative coronary heart of their occasion. He additionally helped the campaigns of Republicans working in opposition to occasion members who had been home incumbents.
“We as legislators have an obligation to insure that our kids haven’t any hurt finished to them,” Could mentioned in January 2024 on the state home ground throughout a debate on transgender look after minors.
