Kenel Predator White Bull Sentenced to 9 Years for Child Abuse

ABERDEEN, SD – In a resounding victory for justice, Jesse Norman White Bull, 45, of Kenel, South Dakota, was today sentenced to nine years in federal prison for the heinous crime of sexually abusing a minor. The sentencing, handed down by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on September 29, 2025, also mandates ten years of supervised release and a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

White Bull was indicted in September 2024 following a federal grand jury investigation. Convicted on July 10, 2025, after a three-day trial, White Bull’s offenses included multiple instances of sexual abuse against a girl between the ages of twelve and thirteen between June 1, 2023, and July 31, 2023. The atrocities took place within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation.

The Major Crimes Act, which mandates federal prosecution for certain crimes in Indian Country, led to this case being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Part of Project Safe Childhood, the initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse, this case underscores the commitment of the Department of Justice to protect children from predators.

Investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services, the prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem. White Bull was immediately remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following his sentencing.

For more information on Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.