Polygamous sect leader in Arizona gets 50 years in prison in conspiracy to transport children for sex

FILE – This undated photo provided by the Coconino County, Ariz., Sheriff’s Office shows Samuel Bateman, the leader of a small polygamous group near the Arizona-Utah border. (AP)

A polygamous religious leader who claimed over 20 spiritual “wives”, including 10 minors, received a 50-year prison sentence on Monday. Samuel Bateman was convicted of forcing girls as young as 9 to engage in criminal sexual acts and conspiring to kidnap them from protective custody.
Bateman, who led a splinter group from Warren Jeffs’ sect, accepted a plea deal. He admitted guilt to conspiracy charges involving transportation of a minor for sexual activity and kidnapping, receiving concurrent 50-year sentences for each count.
The case involved the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), based in Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah. The FLDS separated from mainstream Mormonism in 1890 when polygamy was officially abandoned.
At the sentencing, Judge Susan Brnovich heard testimonies from three teenage survivors about their ongoing trauma. The judge emphasised that Bateman’s sentence would effectively be lifelong, given his age of 48.
A brief closed competency hearing preceded the sentencing. The defence had sought a 20-year sentence with psychiatric treatment. The survivors, now in foster care, described their difficulties adjusting to normal life and received support from “Bikers Against Child Abuse” members.
Bateman’s activities included demanding public confessions and imposing punishments on his followers. He travelled across multiple states engaging in criminal sexual activity with underage girls, with some incidents being recorded and transmitted electronically.
His arrest occurred in August 2022 in Flagstaff, Arizona, after authorities discovered three girls aged 11-14 in an unventilated trailer. Subsequent events included the escape of eight children from foster care, who were later found in Washington state.
The plea agreement requires restitution of up to $1 million per victim. Seven adult “wives” have been convicted of related crimes, with another trial scheduled for January 14. Two brothers face sentencing in December for supporting Bateman’s activities.
Court documents revealed that many of Bateman’s “wives” came from troubled religious backgrounds, with some being coerced or treated as property within their communities.