U.S. District Judge Maria A. Lanahan sentenced a St. Louis bus driver to 15 years in prison on Aug. 4 for engaging in sex acts with a 12-year-old girl from Michigan.
According to court documents, Harold Paul White, now 56, met the victim through social media in 2023 before driving to Michigan to pick her up and bring her back to his apartment in St. Louis. White engaged in illegal sexual conduct with the minor and recorded the acts on his phone. When the victim realized she had been reported missing, White purchased a bus ticket for her return home.
“This is the second child predator we’ve sent to federal prison in as many days, underscoring the persistent threat these offenders pose to our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Child exploitation is not an isolated problem; it is a daily reality that the FBI and our law enforcement partners confront across the country. Parents need to understand that a child’s bedroom is no longer a barrier between them and those who would do them harm. Online platforms give predators constant access to potential victims, making vigilance, communication, and reporting more important than ever.”
White pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in May to one count of interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
The case was investigated by the FBI and local police agencies and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri investigates and prosecutes federal crimes, enforces civil rights laws, advances community well-being through crime prevention efforts, serves 49 counties across eastern Missouri using courthouses such as Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse and Rush H. Limbaugh Sr. U.S. Courthouse, and operates under the United States Department of Justice, according to its official website.