Polygamist Sect Leader Sentenced for Child Abuse
A leader of a polygamist sect received a 50-year federal prison sentence for orchestrating sexual acts with children. On Friday, he faced additional state charges related to child abuse after authorities discovered young girls inside a poorly ventilated trailer he was towing through Arizona.
The situation came to light in August 2022 when someone reported seeing a small finger poking out from a crack in the trailer’s door.
Authorities pulled over Samuel Bateman’s vehicle in Flagstaff, where they found three girls aged 11 to 14 inside the trailer.
The trailer contained basic amenities like a makeshift toilet, a sofa, and camping chairs.
In a separate federal case, Bateman was convicted of compelling girls as young as 9 to participate in sexual activities with him and others, as well as plotting to abduct girls in his care. This troubling narrative is explored in the Netflix series “Trust Me: False Prophet.”
Bateman has claimed to have over 20 “spiritual wives,” including ten minors. During his testimony in the state trial, he insisted he would never harm those he loved.
However, during cross-examination, he conceded that he was aware the girls had spent hours in a hot trailer with inadequate ventilation but minimized the seriousness of the situation.
“I just trusted myself as a driver,” he remarked. “Every time I drove, I asked God to bless me.”
He maintained he believed the girls were outside when the vehicle stopped and expressed his shock upon finding they were still inside at the time of the traffic stop.
In his closing argument, prosecutor Eric Luchenski told the jury that “it’s common sense not to put people in trailers designed for cargo without ventilation on hot days.”
The jurors, unaware of Bateman’s federal conviction since the judge did not allow that information during the trial, took about 40 minutes to deliberate. They ultimately found him guilty on all three counts of child abuse.
Each count carries a mandatory sentence of four to eight years. The judge has the option to impose these sentences consecutively or concurrently, with a sentencing hearing scheduled for August 25.
Federal authorities have noted that Bateman, who identifies as a prophet, traveled across Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska to establish a splinter network of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, historically centered in Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah.
Bateman and his followers practiced polygamy, a practice the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially abandoned in 1890.
Previously, Bateman led the sect and was a close associate of Warren Jeffs, who is currently serving a life sentence for child sexual assault.
The presence of polygamous sects has diminished significantly over time in their historically established towns. In 2017, legal actions led to surveillance in these areas, barring churches from governmental roles and sharing police resources.
However, due to rapid changes in the vicinity, the towns were released from this court oversight last summer, almost two years ahead of schedule. Today, members practicing the sect’s beliefs are believed to make up only a small fraction of the local population.
