Fact Check: An agent from the US Department of Homeland Security testified the three appeared to be underage and were paid.

Fact Check: "An agent from the US Department of Homeland Security testified the three appeared to be underage and were paid."

What We Know

Recently, RJ May, a Republican member of the South Carolina House, was arrested and charged with multiple counts related to the distribution of child sexual abuse material. According to court documents, May allegedly used the screen name "joebidennnn69" to exchange files involving toddlers and young children engaged in sexual acts on the Kik social media platform for a period of about five days in the spring of 2024 (The Guardian, AP News).

During the proceedings, an agent from the US Department of Homeland Security testified that three individuals involved in videos found on May's laptop appeared to be underage and were compensated for their involvement (The Guardian, AP News). This testimony is crucial as it directly supports the claim in question.

Analysis

The testimony from the DHS agent is significant and comes from a credible source involved in the investigation. The Department of Homeland Security is a federal agency responsible for safeguarding the nation, and its agents are trained to assess situations involving minors and potential exploitation (DHS OIG).

The court documents and subsequent news reports consistently affirm that the videos in question featured individuals who were potentially underage and that they were allegedly paid for their involvement (The Guardian, AP News).

While May's defense attorney suggested that someone else could have used May's Wi-Fi to upload the content, this does not negate the DHS agent's testimony regarding the nature of the individuals in the videos (AP News). The defense's claims highlight a potential avenue for reasonable doubt but do not directly contradict the assertion that the DHS agent testified about the age and compensation of the individuals involved.

Overall, the evidence presented from multiple reliable sources supports the claim that a DHS agent testified regarding the appearance of the individuals as underage and that they were paid.

Conclusion

Verdict: True
The claim that an agent from the US Department of Homeland Security testified that the three individuals appeared to be underage and were paid is substantiated by credible sources and direct testimony in the ongoing legal proceedings against RJ May. The consistency of the reports and the reliability of the source reinforce the validity of this claim.