St. Louis Man Pleads Guilty to Transporting 12-Year-Old for Sex

Harold Paul White, a St. Louis resident, pleaded guilty on May 5, 2026, in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of interstate travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, per a U.S. Department of Justice press release.

The case involves one victim, a 12-year-old girl from Michigan, whom White transported to St. Louis for sexual purposes, according to the DOJ summary. Federal statutes under 18 U.S.C. Section 2423 target such interstate activities, affecting individuals across state lines and enforcing protections for minors nationwide.

The FBI's involvement in the investigation underscores resources dedicated to child protection cases, which handled over 3,000 similar investigations in fiscal year 2025, based on FBI annual reports.

Prior to the plea, White faced charges without admission of guilt; the guilty plea now shifts the case to sentencing, scheduled for August 15, 2026, per the DOJ release. This changes his legal status from defendant to convicted felon, mandating registration as a sex offender upon release under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

The plea triggers a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, with a maximum of 30 years, as outlined in the statute cited in the DOJ release. It also initiates restitution proceedings for the victim, requiring White to pay for any counseling or medical costs incurred, per federal guidelines.

Prosecutors must now prepare a presentence report by July 1, 2026, which the court will review before imposing the sentence.

The charge stems from an investigation launched in 2025 by the FBI's St. Louis Division, following tips about online communications, according to the DOJ press release. This marks the 12th such guilty plea in the Eastern District of Missouri this fiscal year, per district court records.