Samuel Bateman, a self-proclaimed prophet and polygamous sect leader already serving a 50-year federal prison sentence for orchestrating sex involving children, was convicted Friday on state child abuse charges. The conviction stems from an incident in 2022 when three girls, aged 11 to 14 at the time, were found inside an unventilated trailer he was hauling through Flagstaff, Arizona.
Discovery and Arrest
Authorities were alerted to the trailer after someone saw small fingers reaching through gaps in the doors. Police stopped Bateman's vehicle and found the three girls inside the enclosed trailer, which contained a makeshift toilet, a sofa, and camping chairs. The trailer had no ventilation, and temperatures inside were dangerously high.
Trial and Conviction
Bateman testified in his own defense, claiming he would never harm the people he loves. During cross-examination, he acknowledged knowing the girls were in a hot trailer for hours with poor ventilation. “I just trusted myself as a driver,” he said. “I ask God to bless me every time we hop in that vehicle.” He claimed he thought the girls had gotten out when they stopped and was “shocked as could possibly be” when he learned they were still inside when he was pulled over.
Prosecutor Eric Ruchensky told jurors during closing arguments: “It’s common sense that you don’t carry people in a trailer designed for cargo on a hot day with no ventilation.” The jury deliberated for about 40 minutes before convicting Bateman on all three counts of child abuse.
Federal Conviction and Sect Background
Bateman's federal conviction involved coercing girls as young as nine to submit to sex acts with him and other young adults, and scheming to kidnap girls from protective custody. His story is the focus of the Netflix series Trust Me: The False Prophet. Bateman previously claimed to have more than 20 “spiritual wives,” including 10 girls under 18.
He was a trusted follower of Warren Jeffs, the former leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), who is serving a life sentence in Texas for sexual assault of children. Bateman built an offshoot network of the FLDS, traveling extensively between Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska.
Impact on Polygamous Communities
The influence of the polygamous sect has waned in its historical bases of Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah. In 2017, a court order placed the towns under supervision, removing the church from their governments and shared police department. The area transformed so quickly that they were released from court-ordered supervision last summer, almost two years earlier than expected. Practicing sect members now account for only a small percentage of the towns' populations.
