Polygamous leader with 20 ‘wives’ faces sentencing for criminal sex acts with children

PHOENIX — A polygamous religious leader who claimed more than twenty spiritual ‘women’ Including ten underage girls who face decades in prison at his sentencing on Monday for forcing girls as young as nine to submit to criminal sexual acts with him and other adults.

Samuel Bateman, whose small group was an offshoot of the cult it once led Warren Jeffshas pleaded guilty to a years-long scheme to transport girls across state lines for his sex crimes, and later to kidnap some of them from pretrial detention. His plea deal called for 20 to 50 years in prison, although each conviction carries a possible life sentence.

But first a federal judge will hear from a doctor who assessed Bateman’s competency. The question could determine whether the sentencing proceeds or whether Bateman is remanded to state prison for psychiatric treatment until he is deemed mentally fit to assist in his defense, his attorney Brian Russo said.

Authorities say Bateman, 48, tried to start an offshoot of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints based in the neighboring communities of Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah. The fundamentalist group, also known as FLDS, split from the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after Mormons officially abandoned polygamy in 1890.

The alleged practice of cult members sexually abusing girls they claim as spiritual ‘women’ has long plagued the FLDS. Jeffs was convicted in Texas in 2011 on charges of sexually abusing his underage followers. Bateman was one of Jeffs’ trusted followers and stated that he, like Jeffs, was a “prophet” of the FLDS. Jeffs denounced Bateman in a written “revelation” sent from prison to his followers, and then attempted to form his own group.

In 2019 and 2020, he emphasized that polygamy brings exaltation in heaven and that he was acting on the orders of the ‘Heavenly Father’, Bateman began taking female adults and children of his male followers and proclaimed them as his “wives,” according to the plea agreement. Although none of these “marriages” were legally or ceremonially recognized, Bateman recognized that each time he claimed another “wife” it marked the beginning of his illicit sexual contact with the woman or girl.

Federal agents said Bateman demanded that his followers publicly confess to any indiscretion and imposed punishments ranging from public shaming to sexual activity, including requiring some male followers to pay for their “sins” by submitting their own wives and daughters to him to surrender.

Bateman traveled extensively between Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Nebraska and regularly coerced underage girls into his criminal sexual activities, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona. Recordings of some of his sex crimes were sent across state lines via electronic devices.

Bateman was arrested by state police in August 2022 he was driving through Flagstaff with a trailer. Someone had alerted the authorities after seeing little fingers reaching through the slats of the door. Inside the caravan, which had no ventilation, they found a makeshift toilet, a sofa, camping chairs and three girls aged 11 to 14.

Bateman posted bond but was soon rearrested. charged with obstruction of justice in a federal investigation into whether children were transported across state lines for his sex crimes. Authorities also took nine children from Bateman’s Colorado City home into protective custody.

Eight of the children later escaped from foster homes in Arizona and were found hundreds of miles away in Washington state in a vehicle driven by one of the adult “women.” Bateman also admitted his involvement in the kidnapping plan.

Federal prosecutors noted that Bateman’s plea deal was contingent on all of his co-defendants also pleading guilty. It also called for restitution of as much as $1 million per victim, and the immediate forfeiture of all assets.

Seven of Bateman’s adult ‘women’ have been convicted of crimes related to coercing children into sexual activity or obstructing the investigation into Bateman. Some recognized that they also forced girls to become the spiritual “women” of Bateman. They witnessed Bateman engaging in criminal sexual activity with girls, participating in illegal group sex involving children, or participating in kidnapping them from foster care. Another woman will be tried on January 14 on charges related to the kidnappings.

Two brothers from Colorado City also face 10 years to life in prison at their sentencings, on December 16 and 20, after being convicted in October of, among other things, traveling interstate to persuade or coerce a child to engage in sexual activity. Authorities say one bought Bateman two Bentley cars, while the other bought him a Range Rover.

In court filings, lawyers for some of Bateman’s “wives” painted a bleak picture of their clients’ religious upbringing.

One said his client was raised in a religious sect that taught that sexual activity with children was acceptable, and that she was lured into “marrying” Bateman. Another said her client was given to Bateman by another man as if she were a piece of property because she felt she had no choice, and was manipulated by Bateman into doing things she otherwise wouldn’t do.