Samuel Bateman: Polygamous sect leader sentenced for Arizona child abuse charges
Samuel Bateman
PHOENIX - A polygamous sect leader already given a five-decade federal sentence has been sentenced again on state charges in Arizona.
What we know:
Samuel Bateman, 50, received 24 years behind bars on Aug. 26 after being convicted of child abuse for smuggling three young girls in a hot, unventilated trailer through Flagstaff back in 2022.
Arizona man charged after girls found in enclosed trailer
Authorities found three girls, between the ages of 11 and 14, in the trailer Samuel Bateman was hauling through Flagstaff, according to court documents.
The backstory:
The trailer had a makeshift toilet, sofa and camping chairs, but had no air conditioning or seat belts. Authorities pulled over the trailer after someone reported seeing small fingers reaching through gaps in the doors.
Bateman was already convicted of coercing girls as young as nine to perform sex acts and scheming to kidnap girls from protective custody. His group was an offset of the polygamous sect once led by Warren Jeffs.
Dig deeper:
Bateman is currently serving 50 years in federal prison for coercing girls as young as 9 to submit to sex acts with him and other adults and for scheming to kidnap girls from protective custody — the story of which is the focus of the Netflix series, "Trust Me: The False Prophet."
Woman who exposed leader of child abuse ring seeks legal reform in Arizona
Christine Marie, a cult expert and subject of the Netflix documentary "Trust Me: The False Prophet," is sharing how she helped federal authorities dismantle a child sex abuse ring.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from an Aug. 25, 2026 report by the Associated Press, and FOX 10 reports on May 12, and Dec. 9, 2024.