United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell has announced the conviction of Jesse Norman White Bull, a 45-year-old resident of Kenel, South Dakota. On July 10, 2025, White Bull was found guilty by a federal jury on two counts of sexual abuse of a minor after a three-day trial in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
The charges against White Bull each carry severe penalties, including a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine. Additionally, there is a mandatory minimum of five years to life supervised release and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
White Bull’s indictment occurred in September 2024. During the trial, evidence showed that he sexually abused a 13-year-old girl multiple times between June and July 2023 at his residence in Kenel, located within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case under the Major Crimes Act. This federal statute requires that certain violent crimes occurring in Indian Country be tried in Federal Court rather than State Court.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project involves federal, state, and local resources to apprehend offenders and assist victims.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem led the prosecution.
A presentence investigation report has been ordered for White Bull, with sentencing scheduled for September 29, 2025. He was released on bond pending sentencing.
