RJ May (South Carolina) In January 2026, former South Carolina Republican state representative RJ May was sentenced to over 17 years in federal prison for distributing hundreds of child sexual abuse videos. May, a founding member of the South Carolina House Freedom Caucus, pleaded guilty in September 2025 to five counts of distributing child sexual abuse material.
Ray Holmberg (North Dakota) A former Republican North Dakota State Senator, Ray Holmberg, pleaded guilty in February 2025 to traveling to Prague to engage in commercial sex with minor boys. He admitted to taking approximately 14 trips between 2011 and 2021.
Craig Scott Valdez (Alaska) In February 2026, the chief of staff for Republican Alaska State Senator George Rauscher, Craig Scott Valdez, was arrested on federal charges of sex trafficking, child exploitation, and producing child sexual abuse material. Valdez was also a regional chair for the Alaska Young Republicans.
Dennis Hastert (Illinois) Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, a Republican, was convicted in 2016 for violating banking laws to pay hush money to conceal his past sexual abuse of teenage boys.