Polygamous sect leader convicted of abuse charges after girls found in trailer on Arizona highway
Source: AP
A polygamous sect leader already serving a 50-year federal prison sentence for orchestrating sex involving children was convicted Friday on state child abuse charges after girls were found in an unventilated trailer he was hauling through Arizona.
Someone alerted authorities about the trailer in August 2022 after seeing small fingers reaching through gaps in the doors. Police stopped Samuel Batemans vehicle as he was driving through Flagstaff and found three girls inside, who were ages 11 to 14 at the time. The trailer was enclosed with a makeshift toilet, a sofa and camping chairs.
In the federal case, Bateman was convicted of coercing girls as young as 9 to submit to sex acts with him and other young adults, and for scheming to kidnap girls from protective custody, the story of which is the focus of a Netflix series, Trust Me: The False Prophet.
Bateman previously claimed to have more than 20 spiritual wives, including 10 girls under the age of 18. He testified in his own defense in the state case, telling jurors he would never harm the people he loves. He acknowledged during cross-examination that he knew the girls were in a hot trailer for hours and the ventilation wasnt good, but downplayed the conditions.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/samuel-bateman-trial-arizona-child-abuse-polygamy-1b0504057b9aed19852abb4317d2441c
PHOENIX (AP)
By JACQUES BILLEAUD and JOSH KELETY
Updated 8:44 PM EDT, June 26, 2026
ninjanurse
(146 posts)Examines how people can be controlled by religion and a dominating leader
ret5hd
(22,714 posts)they always forget to tell us their drag names.
FakeNoose
(43,048 posts)
mwmisses4289
(5,164 posts)The one the pray and be sweet doc was about? This Bateman guy i think sees himself as the leader since the other guy (jeff, jeffers?) is in prison serving time for the same thing?
niyad
(135,339 posts)murielm99
(33,162 posts)with his followers. I have heard his creepy voice. I have often worried that he is going to ask them all to commit mass suicide.
JT45242
(4,238 posts)Reads like they could tack 12-24 years into the end of that term. 74 years would effectively be a life sentence.
GiqueCee
(5,070 posts)... don't fare too well in prison, they say. May Bateman's fate reflect that fact.
squiregeek
(18 posts)You never know what King Rottinghand will do with a pedophile. Pardoning this guy would be so on-brand. The state conviction will keep him behind bards.
squiregeek
(18 posts)Icanthinkformyself
(443 posts)why Republicans want to reduce or, preferably, remove the 'age of consent' laws. They just love phucking children any way they can. Raping them, taking away their food (SNAP and USAID and other program cuts), their rights (the repeal of child labor laws in Southern states) and, cutting education funding to keep them stupid so they will be agreeable peons. It will be a long time before the positive change that is happening will fully bloom. I hope I live to see the Social Democrats take the reins of power in DC. It will be glorious, as the Klingons say.
mdbl
(8,982 posts)Don't just leave him in federal prison. That's where all the criminals go to be released.
Farmer-Rick
(12,859 posts)But the state charges can't be pardoned no matter how much Bateman pays Trump.
travelingthrulife
(5,747 posts)NBachers
(19,666 posts)dave99
(583 posts)58Sunliner
(6,462 posts)Where are the parents? Did they allow this?
hunter
(40,948 posts)This could be a bigger story than reported.