Woman who exposed leader of child abuse ring seeks legal reform in Arizona

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The woman who helped take down Samuel Bateman, the leader of a child sex abuse ring in Colorado City, and is now sharing her story through a Netflix documentary.

What we know:

Christine Marie says moving to Colorado City and filming the documentary called, "Trust Me: The False Prophet," with her husband was originally a way to highlight the community there and help former FLDS members. 

"The positive impact of this documentary has been beyond my expectations," Marie said. 

Then, the couple met Samuel Bateman, a member who was representing himself as a religious prophet and taking on young brides.

"I had some suspicions, but it wasn’t until we were driving in a car and Sam started confessing some horrific things that he had made happen to women and children, and I secretly recorded his confession," said Marie, a cult expert and subject of the documentary. "That moment was life-changing."

Timeline:

Marie spent months feeding evidence and information to law enforcement, playing a pivotal role in the eventual federal charges brought against him. But it was an FBI special agent named Dawn Martin who finally took the case to the next level. 

"Dawn was the miracle worker," Marie said. "She made the investigation skyrocket, and she was serious; she knew exactly what she was doing."

Then came Bateman’s arrest in 2022 after a traffic stop in the Flagstaff area led to the discovery of three underage girls in his trailer. 

"The whole world saw it because of those little fingers sticking out of the door," Marie said. "Was this human trafficking? It was incredible."

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Former FLDS member speaks out on new Netflix documentary highlighting abuse

A former FLDS member is speaking out on the new Netflix documentary, "Trust Me: The False Prophet," highlighting abuse and accountability within the Colorado City FLDS community.

Local perspective:

Flagstaff shows up in different scenes of the documentary, from a trip to Target to the reunion of Bateman and his many wives at a local Hampton Inn after his release from jail after the traffic stop. It was in Flagstaff that Marie says she reached a point where she questioned if she could keep filming this documentary, but looking back, she’s so glad she did.

"People have felt inspired," Marie said. "As dark as this story is, it inspires them, the ending inspires them and women have reached out across the world and said things like 'this series gave me the courage to report my abuser'."

Big picture view:

The FBI eventually raided Bateman’s home in late 2022, leading to federal charges and a 50-year sentence given in late 2024. Marie says her hope is that the documentary catches the eye of lawmakers who can help keep this from happening to more women and girls.

"Sam required a victim to come forward before they would arrest him, but what if we had coercive control laws in Arizona and he could’ve been arrested on that and then taken away from the girls so they would feel safe enough to come forward sooner," Marie said.