Former Manatee County Deputy Sentenced to 13 Years in 1990 Sexual Battery Case
A former deputy with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office was sentenced last week to 13 years in state prison after pleading no contest to charges connected to the sexual assault of a young girl in 1990.
Joseph Keenan May, 60, was found guilty and sentenced in Manatee County Court following the plea. The conviction stems from a capital sexual battery case originally filed in Bradenton more than three decades ago.
Authorities said May fled after the charges were filed and remained a fugitive for years before being located in Alaska in 2014. Federal agents arrested him at a home in Eagle River, Alaska, where investigators said he had been living under the identity of his deceased stepbrother, Michael Camp, who died as a teenager in the 1970s.
At the time of his arrest, May was charged federally with unlawfully possessing firearms while a fugitive, possessing unregistered explosive devices, and making false statements on a federal firearms license application. Investigators later added a charge of possession of child pornography after searches of his computer.
Federal authorities said May used Camp’s Social Security number and identity to obtain an Alaska driver’s license and unemployment benefits. He ultimately pleaded guilty to eight felony charges, including identity theft offenses.
Investigators also discovered eight firearms, destructive devices, and components used to make explosives inside May’s residence, including hand grenades and an exploding arrow. Authorities additionally reported finding journals containing extremist and hate-filled writings that discussed violent actions against various groups and public officials.
Before the recent Manatee County sentencing, May was already serving a 12-year federal prison sentence related to the Alaska convictions.
