Kevin Mays, a former assistant coach and player at Cal State Bakersfield, was sentenced to four years in prison and must register as a sex offender for life after pleading no contest to possession of child sexual abuse material, pimping and drug charges while armed. An anonymous August 2025 email prompted a university investigation and a subsequent police sting that identified a 22-year-old woman Mays allegedly directed across hotel rooms in California, Oregon and Las Vegas. Authorities found firearms, a large quantity of drugs and roughly 600 images of children on Mays' phone; several other charges were dismissed as part of his plea deal.
Former Cal State Bakersfield Assistant Sentenced To Four Years For Pimping, Child Pornography And Drug Offenses
An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Former Cal State Bakersfield assistant Kevin Mays, Image 2 shows Basketball player Kevin Mays goes over a play with coach Rod Barnes
A former assistant coach and one-time player at California State University, Bakersfield, Kevin Mays, was sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender for life after pleading no contest to charges that included possession of child sexual abuse material, pimping and possession of a controlled substance while armed, the Kern County District Attorney's Office said.
Former Cal State Bakersfield assistant Kevin Mays. California State University, Bakersfield
Investigation and Arrest
The investigation began after an anonymous email sent to CSUB in August 2025 accused Mays of "trafficking a girl since May." The message—reported by ESPN—was forwarded to university police, which launched an inquiry that led investigators to a sex-advertisement placed in Sacramento and to a sting operation in September.
Kevin Mays, who once played for the college, goes over a play with coach Rod Barnes in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in 2015. AP
"TRAFFICKING A GIRL SINCE MAY. FIX IT OR THE WHOLE STAFF WILL FALL."
During the sting, officers met the woman at a hotel; she told police Mays was her "boyfriend" and that he frequently arranged clients, paid for hotels, rental cars and flights, and used his CSUB account at times to facilitate expenses, authorities said. Mays was fired and arrested shortly after search warrants were served on his vehicle and residence.
Cal State Bakersfield's Kevin Mays during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the Western Athletic Conference tournament Thursday, March 12, 2015. AP
Evidence and Charges
Police reported finding multiple firearms and a large quantity of drugs in Mays' car. A forensic review of his phone uncovered roughly 600 photographs of children, some appearing to be as young as four years old. Initial charges included nearly a dozen felony and misdemeanor counts, such as pimping, possession of automatic firearms, possession of methamphetamine and marijuana with intent to sell, and possession of child pornography.
Under a plea agreement, Mays entered a no-contest plea earlier this month to felony counts of possession of child or youth pornography, pimping, and possession of a controlled substance while armed with a firearm. Prosecutors dismissed several other counts as part of the deal.
Sentence And Reaction
On Thursday, a judge sentenced Mays to four years in prison and ordered lifetime registration as a sex offender. His defense attorney, David Torres, told The Bakersfield Californian that Mays is "truly remorseful" and "relieved that all of this is behind him," adding that Mays hopes the CSUB basketball program "will get back on course" and expressed regret for the stress his conduct caused the university and community.
The Kern County District Attorney's Office and local media outlets, including The Bakersfield Californian, KBAK and ESPN, provided details of the probe and judicial outcome.
Help us improve.
