Polygamous Sect Leader Sentenced to 50 Years for Orchestrating Child Sex Abuse Scheme

PHOENIX—A religious leader involved in polygamy, who claimed to have over 20 spiritual “wives,” including 10 minors, was sentenced to 50 years in prison on Monday. He was convicted of coercing girls as young as 9 years old into criminal sexual acts with him and other adults, and for planning to abduct them from protective custody.

Samuel Bateman, whose small group was a splinter of the sect previously led by Warren Jeffs, pleaded guilty to a lengthy scheme involving the transport of girls across state lines for his sex crimes, and later to kidnappings of some from protective custody.

As part of a plea agreement, Bateman pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy to commit transportation of a minor for sexual activity, which can result in a sentence of 10 years to life imprisonment, and one charge of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, which can lead to a life sentence. He received a 50-year sentence for each count, to be served concurrently.

The remaining charges were dismissed as part of this agreement.

Authorities report that Bateman, 48, attempted to start a faction of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) within the nearby communities of Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah. The FLDS split from the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after the latter officially renounced polygamy in 1890.

U.S. District Court Judge Susan Brnovich sentenced Bateman after hearing testimonies from three teenage girls who spoke about the ongoing trauma they endure. Although the girls shared their names in court, The Associated Press does not disclose the identities of sexual crime victims, and some appeared to still be minors.

“You do not deserve to be free and should never be around young women again,” Brnovich stated, mentioning that to a man of his age, the 50-year sentence effectively amounts to a life sentence.

“You took them from their homes, their families, and turned them into sex slaves,” the judge continued. “You robbed them of their innocence and childhood.”

Prior to the sentencing, a brief competency hearing, closed to the public, took place to review a doctor’s evaluation of Bateman’s mental health. His defense argued that Bateman could have benefitted from up to 20 years of psychiatric treatment in prison before potential release.

The girls recounted their struggles in forming relationships during high school, directed their comments at Bateman, and shared how they now reside with foster families, where they have received considerable support from trustworthy adults outside their community.

Following the sentencing, the teenagers hugged one another and wept softly. They were escorted out of the courtroom by a group of men and women wearing jackets from “Bikers Against Child Abuse,” an organization committed to protecting children from perceived threats. A woman accompanying the teens stated that no one from their group would be making a statement.

No apparent supporters of Bateman were present in the courtroom.

The alleged practice within the sect of sexually abusing girls designated as spiritual “wives” has long plagued the FLDS. Jeffs was convicted in Texas in 2011 for the sexual assaults of his underage followers. Bateman was once one of Jeffs’ trusted associates, claiming to be a “prophet” for the FLDS, but was denounced by Jeffs in a written “revelation” from prison before attempting to start his own sect.

In 2019 and 2020, Bateman, claiming that polygamy leads to divine rewards in heaven and asserting he acted on directives from the “Heavenly Father,” began taking both adult and child females from his male followers and declaring them his “wives,” according to the plea agreement. While none of these “marriages” were legally or ceremonially recognized, Bateman admitted that each time he claimed a new “wife,” it initiated his illegal sexual contact with that individual.

Federal agents reported that Bateman enforced public confessions for any transgressions from his followers, imposing punishments that ranged from public humiliation to sexual acts, including mandating that some male followers atone for their “mistakes” by yielding their own wives and daughters to him.

Bateman traversed between Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska, consistently coercing underage girls into his illicit sexual activities, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona. Recordings of some of his crimes were transmitted via electronic devices across state lines.

Bateman was arrested in August 2022 by state police while driving through Flagstaff, Arizona, with a trailer. Authorities were alerted after witnessing small hands reaching through the trailer’s door slats. Inside the unventilated trailer, they discovered a makeshift toilet, along with a couch, camping chairs, and three girls aged 11 to 14.

Though Bateman was released on bond, he was soon rearrested for obstructing justice regarding a federal investigation into the transportation of children across state lines for his criminal activities. Authorities also placed nine children from Bateman’s residence in Colorado City under protective custody.

Eight of these children later escaped from foster care in Arizona and were located hundreds of miles away in Washington state, traveling in a vehicle driven by one of the adult “wives.” Bateman also confessed involvement in the kidnapping scheme.

Federal prosecutors emphasized that Bateman’s plea agreement was dependent on all of his co-defendants also pleading guilty. The agreement includes restitution of up to $1 million per victim and the immediate forfeiture of all his assets.

Seven of Bateman’s adult “wives” have been found guilty of crimes related to coercing children into sexual activities or obstructing the investigation into Bateman. Some admitted to coercing girls to become Bateman’s spiritual “wives,” witnessing Bateman’s criminal sexual acts with minors, participating in illicit group sexual activities involving children, or aiding in their kidnapping from foster care. Another woman is set to be tried on January 14 for her involvement in the kidnappings.

Two brothers from Colorado City are also facing 10 years to life at their sentencing scheduled for December 16 and December 20 after being convicted in October of charges, including interstate travel to persuade or coerce a child into sexual activity. Reports indicate one brother presented Bateman with two Bentley cars, while the other gifted him a Range Rover.

In court documents, lawyers for Bateman’s “wives” portrayed a grim view of their clients’ religious backgrounds.

One lawyer stated their client was raised in a religious cult that accepted sexual activity with minors and that she was misled into “marrying” Bateman. Another noted that her client was offered to Bateman by another man as if she were a mere possession, leaving her feeling without choice.

By Jacques Billeaud and Anita Snow