A leader of a polygamous sect, Samuel Bateman, received an additional 24-year prison sentence on state child abuse charges for transporting girls in a poorly ventilated trailer in Arizona. Bateman, already serving a 50-year federal prison term for coercing young girls into sexual acts and planning kidnappings, was found guilty of three counts of child abuse after three girls, aged 11 to 14, were discovered during a traffic stop in Flagstaff, Arizona. The trailer lacked proper facilities and safety measures, prompting Judge Joshua Steinlage to order the state sentence to be served consecutively to the federal sentence.
During the sentencing hearing, Bateman, who represented himself, expressed love for the girls but did not seek leniency. Victims refuted his claims of innocence, with one victim recounting the emotional distress and therapy needed to cope with the abuse suffered at a young age. Bateman, known for his self-proclaimed prophet status and multiple spiritual wives, including underage girls, minimized the severity of the trailer conditions but acknowledged his awareness of the girls’ situation.
Bateman’s extensive travels across several states to expand his sect, rooted in polygamy and led by Warren Jeffs, were highlighted by federal authorities. The sect’s influence has declined over time, leading to court intervention in the towns historically associated with the group. The area has since undergone significant changes, with the sect members constituting a small fraction of the population after the towns’ release from court oversight. Bateman’s story was featured in the Netflix series “Trust Me: The False Prophet.”