A Norris, South Dakota man has been sentenced to federal prison for failing to register as a sex offender. U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte handed down the sentence on February 4, 2025.
Harold White Hat, aged 41, received a sentence of one year and one month in federal prison. This will be followed by five years of supervised release. Additionally, he was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
White Hat faced indictment by a federal grand jury in September 2024 and pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024.
In 2022, White Hat was convicted of abusive sexual contact, necessitating his registration as a sex offender. He is required to update this registration within three business days upon relocating or changing employment. In July 2024, after moving from his registered address in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, White Hat failed to update his registration. He was subsequently arrested in Todd County, South Dakota on August 23, 2024.
The case forms part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project involves collaboration between U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section alongside federal, state, and local resources to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service with Senior Litigation Counsel Kirk Albertson prosecuting the case.
Following sentencing, White Hat was immediately remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.