Former California State University, Bakersfield assistant basketball coach Kevin Mays was sentenced to four years in state prison Thursday in his pimping and child pornography case.

The former assistant coach of the CSU Bakersfield basketball team will receive credit for time served and must register as a sex offender for life. Mays pleaded no contest earlier this month to pimping, possession of child pornography and possession of a controlled substance while armed.

Driving the news: Along with the four-year sentence, Mays was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and pay restitution and court fees.

Mays received 660 days of credit toward his sentence for time already served and good behavior.

Prosecutors dropped eight other charges against Mays as part of the plea agreement.

The backstory: Mays was arrested in September 2025 after the Bakersfield Police Department received allegations that he was trafficking a woman across California, Washington, Oregon and Nevada.

An anonymous tipster initially sent the allegations to then-CSUB Head Basketball Coach Rod Barnes.

Investigators connected Mays to the woman through a Washington traffic stop involving a rental vehicle in his name, online advertisements and hotel and flight arrangements.

Mays was initially charged with 11 felonies, including human trafficking, pimping, pandering, weapons violations and drug offenses. Child pornography charges were added shortly after his arrest.

Flashback: During a two-day preliminary hearing in March, prosecutors presented evidence that Mays possessed more than 600 images of child pornography and over two dozen videos depicting sexual conduct involving minors.

Eight people testified during the hearing, leading Kern County Superior Court Judge Eric Bradshaw to order Mays to stand trial.

A Sacramento Police Department detective also testified that Mays paid for hotels and flights for the woman he was accused of pimping.

Zoom in: Mays accepted the plea agreement on July 1, avoiding a trial on the full slate of charges.

Mays played for CSUB from 2014 to 2016 before returning to the basketball program in 2019. He was elevated to assistant coach in 2025 before being placed on leave and later fired following his arrest.