Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Over 1 Year in Federal Prison for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on June 22, 2026.

Harold White Hat, age 42, was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

White Hat was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2025. He pleaded guilty on February 25, 2026.

White Hat was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in United States District Court, District of South Dakota, in May 2022. As a result of his conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender and regularly update his registration. In September 2025, White Hat updated his sex offender registration to reflect that he was residing at a residence in Sioux Falls. Later, however, White Hat left that residence and did not update his registration. An arrest warrant was issued, and on November 17, 2025, White Hat was arrested in Sioux Falls.

This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices and the DOJ's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Unit prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Zachrison prosecuted the case.

White Hat was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.