PHOENIX (AP) — Samuel Bateman, the leader of a polygamous sect, was convicted on Friday of state child abuse charges after authorities found three girls, aged 11 to 14, in an unventilated trailer he was towing through Arizona. This incident occurred in August 2022 when someone reported seeing small fingers reaching through the trailer's doors. Bateman, who is already serving a 50-year federal prison sentence for orchestrating sex acts involving children, was found to have coerced girls as young as 9 into sexual acts in a separate federal case.
During his trial, Bateman testified that he would never harm those he loves, but acknowledged that he was aware the girls were in the trailer for hours without proper ventilation. Prosecutor Eric Ruchensky emphasized the dangers of transporting individuals in such conditions. The jury took approximately 40 minutes to convict Bateman on all three counts of child abuse, each carrying a mandatory sentence of four to eight years. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 25.
Bateman, who claimed to have more than 20 'spiritual wives,' including minors, was a follower of Warren Jeffs, the former leader of the sect who is serving a life sentence for sexual assault of children. The polygamous sect has seen a decline in influence in its historical communities, with a court order in 2017 placing the towns under supervision to separate the church from local governance.