Polygamous leader with 20 wives faces sentence for criminal sexual acts with minors

Samuel Bateman: Polygamist Leader Found Guilty

Underage Victims and Religious Sect at the Center of the Case

Potential Life Sentence for the Accused and Collaborators

A polygamist religious leader, Samuel Bateman, faces a potential life sentence. He claimed to have 20 «spiritual wives.»

Bateman, 48, pleaded guilty to numerous charges related to sexual abuse. Among his «wives,» 10 were minors.

He was also accused of transporting his victims to subject them to illicit acts, according to ABC News.

Bateman led a branch of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), known for its history of abuse and polygamy.

Samuel Bateman Faces Sentencing for Crimes Against Minors

Samuel Bateman: Polygamist Leader Found Guilty – Photo: Coconino County Sheriff’s Office

Starting in 2019, Bateman proclaimed himself a “prophet” and began taking girls as “spiritual wives,” some as young as nine years old, according to court documents.

He claimed to act under divine orders and used religion to manipulate and subjugate his followers. When he claimed a minor, he called them his “wives” and began illicit sexual acts.

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Among his crimes, Bateman forced girls and women to make public confessions and subjected them to punishments that included sexual abuse.

In August 2022, he was arrested after police found three girls, ages 11 to 14, confined in a trailer without ventilation or adequate conditions.

Samuel Bateman Had a Network of Complicity and Manipulation

The case involves not only Samuel Bateman but also several adults who helped him maintain control over the girls.

Seven of his adult «spiritual wives» have been convicted for facilitating the abuse and obstructing investigations.

Some actively participated in kidnappings and group sexual abuse. Bateman claimed he practiced polygamy under orders from the «Heavenly Father.»

Two men from Colorado City, alleged collaborators, are also facing hearings that could result in life sentences.

Legal and Social Consequences

Samuel Bateman has pleaded guilty to a yearslong scheme to transport girls across state lines for his sex crimes, and later to kidnap some of them from protective custody. https://t.co/zjDbDDUyaC

— 12 News (@12News) December 9, 2024

According to prosecutors, they financed part of Samuel Bateman’s activities, purchasing luxury vehicles such as Bentleys and a Range Rover for him.

Authorities point to this case as an extreme example of systemic abuse disguised under the facade of religious beliefs.

Defense attorneys for the accomplices emphasized that many of them grew up in an environment that normalized sexual activity, making them vulnerable to manipulation.

Authorities continue working to protect the victims and hold all those involved accountable for these heinous acts, ABC News reported.

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