WARNING: This article discusses sexual assault incidents involving minors
A leader of a polygamous group, already serving a 50-year federal prison term for organizing sexual activities with children, received an additional 24-year prison sentence on Tuesday for child abuse convictions in Arizona. Samuel Bateman, 50, was found guilty of three counts of child abuse after three girls, aged 11 to 14, were discovered in an unventilated trailer during a traffic stop in Flagstaff, Arizona in August 2022. The trailer lacked basic amenities like air conditioning and seat belts, with someone alerting authorities after seeing small hands poking through the doors.
This separate state conviction adds to Bateman’s existing federal sentence for coercing young girls to engage in sexual acts and conspiring to abduct girls from protective custody. Judge Joshua Steinlage, citing the severe risk to the girls in the trailer, mandated that Bateman serve the state sentence following his federal imprisonment.
During the sentencing, Bateman, who represented himself, expressed love for the individuals involved and asserted he had no intent to harm them. Victims, however, refuted his claims, highlighting the psychological anguish they endured due to his actions.
One victim recounted the emotional trauma she faced, emphasizing how Bateman sexually exploited her at a young age, leading her to seek therapy to cope with the aftermath. She lamented the loss of her childhood due to his actions.
Operating in Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona, Bateman’s sect, an offshoot of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, practiced polygamy, a tradition abandoned by the mainstream Latter-day Saints. Bateman, a self-proclaimed prophet with alleged spiritual wives, including minors, was a trusted associate of Warren Jeffs, the former sect leader serving a life sentence for child sexual assault in Texas.
Ammon Barker, Coconino County Attorney, emphasized the importance of accountability in sentencing Bateman, ensuring he is no longer a threat to children. The article also mentions the diminishing influence of the sect in the mentioned towns, following legal interventions that curbed its authority.
The case involving Bateman was the subject of the Netflix series “Trust Me: The False Prophet,” shedding light on his criminal activities. The article concludes with a reminder to seek immediate assistance in cases of danger or crisis.
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