Polygamous sect leader facing state sentencing after girls found in unventilated trailer
A leader of a polygamous religious sect who is already serving a 50-year federal prison sentence is scheduled to receive another sentence Tuesday after being convicted in Arizona of child abuse involving three girls found inside an unventilated trailer.
Samuel Bateman, 50, was convicted on three state child abuse charges stemming from an August 2022 traffic stop in Flagstaff. Authorities discovered three girls, ages 11 to 14, inside a trailer that had no air conditioning, seat belts, or adequate ventilation.
The trailer contained a makeshift toilet, a sofa and camping chairs. Authorities were alerted after someone reported seeing small fingers reaching through openings in the trailer doors.
Each of Bateman’s three convictions carries a mandatory sentence of four to eight years. The judge will decide whether the sentences will be served at the same time or consecutively.
Bateman is already serving 50 years in federal prison after being convicted of coercing girls as young as 9 into sexual activity with him and other adults. He was also convicted of participating in a scheme to remove girls from protective custody.
Bateman, who described himself as a prophet, previously claimed to have more than 20 spiritual wives, including 10 girls under the age of 18.
During the Arizona trial, Bateman acknowledged that he knew the girls had spent hours inside the hot trailer and that ventilation was poor. However, he minimized the conditions and said he believed the girls had left the trailer when the vehicle stopped.
Bateman represented himself during the trial despite having no legal training. He said he was extremely surprised when authorities discovered the girls were still inside the trailer during the traffic stop.
Bateman’s religious group was an offshoot of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the polygamous sect once led by Warren Jeffs. Federal authorities said Bateman traveled across Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Nebraska while building his own network within the movement.
Jeffs is serving a life sentence in Texas after being convicted of sexually assaulting children. Bateman had been one of his trusted followers.
The sect has historically been centered around Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah. Its influence in the communities has declined substantially over the years, and members are now believed to make up only a small portion of the local populations.
A 2017 court order placed the communities under government supervision and removed the sect from control of local government and law enforcement. The communities underwent significant changes and were released from court supervision last summer, nearly two years earlier than originally expected.
Bateman’s activities and criminal cases were also featured in the Netflix series “Trust Me: The False Prophet.”
His Tuesday sentencing will add to the lengthy prison term he is already serving in federal custody.
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