Samuel Bateman, the leader of a polygamous sect near the Arizona-Utah border, has pleaded guilty to charges related to transporting underage girls across state lines for sexual acts. The guilty plea was entered in U.S. District Court in Phoenix, where Bateman also admitted to conspiring to commit kidnapping to free underage girls from Arizona state custody.
Bateman, 48, confessed to taking underage brides, engaging in sexual activity with them, and arranging group sex, including child brides. His plea agreement recommends a sentence of 20 to 50 years in prison, with one conviction carrying a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Authorities revealed that Bateman, a self-proclaimed prophet with over 20 wives, including 10 girls under 18, sought to establish an offshoot of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This sect practices polygamy, a belief that Bateman and his followers hold as a path to heavenly exaltation.
In August 2022, Bateman was arrested in Flagstaff, Arizona, after three girls aged 11 to 14 were found in an enclosed trailer without proper ventilation. Subsequently, nine children were removed from Bateman's home in Colorado City, with eight escaping foster care and being located in Washington state.
Further investigations revealed that Bateman traveled extensively between Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska, engaging in sexual activity with minor girls. He was also accused of giving wives as gifts to his male followers, claiming to act on orders from the 'Heavenly Father.'
Several individuals connected to Bateman have been charged in the scheme, including businessman Moroni Johnson and four of Bateman's wives. Charges are pending against four other women and two male followers, who have pleaded not guilty.
Sentencing for Bateman is scheduled for July 15, with the plea agreement recommending a lengthy prison term for his crimes.
