PHOENIX (AP) — A leader of a polygamous religious sect who is already serving a 50-year federal prison sentence for orchestrating sexual abuse involving children has now been convicted on state child abuse charges as well. The verdict came Friday, following a trial centered on the discovery of three young girls trapped inside a sweltering, unventilated trailer he was towing through Arizona.
The incident came to light in 2022 when a passerby spotted small fingers poking through gaps in the trailer doors and contacted authorities. Law enforcement pulled over Samuel Bateman’s vehicle in Flagstaff and found three girls inside, ranging in age from 11 to 14. The enclosed trailer contained only a makeshift toilet, a sofa, and a few camping chairs.
In his separate federal case, Bateman was found guilty of coercing girls as young as 9 years old into sexual acts with him and other adults, as well as plotting to abduct girls from protective custody. That case has been featured in a Netflix documentary series titled “Trust Me: The False Prophet.”
Bateman had previously claimed to have more than 20 so-called “spiritual wives,” at least 10 of whom were under the age of 18. He chose to represent himself during the state trial and took the stand in his own defense, telling jurors he would never hurt those he loves. Under cross-examination, however, he admitted he was aware the girls had been riding in a hot trailer with poor ventilation for an extended period of time.
“I just trusted myself as a driver,” he said. “I ask God to bless me every time we hopped in that vehicle.”
Because Bateman represented himself, he repeatedly brought up his federal conviction during proceedings — even though the judge had specifically barred that information from being presented to jurors. The judge repeatedly ordered those remarks stricken from the record.
The jury took just roughly 40 minutes to return a guilty verdict on all three child abuse counts.
Federal authorities described Bateman as a self-proclaimed prophet who traveled widely across Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska while building a splinter group connected to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That sect has historically been centered in the adjoining communities of Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah.
Bateman and his followers adhered to the practice of polygamy, which traces its roots to early teachings of the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The mainstream church officially abandoned polygamy in 1890 and now strictly forbids it.
Bateman was known as a close follower of Warren Jeffs, the former leader of the sect, who is currently serving a life sentence in Texas after being convicted of sexually assaulting children.
