Samuel Bateman, a leader of a polygamous sect, was convicted on state child abuse charges in Arizona following a 2022 traffic stop where authorities found three girls locked inside an unventilated trailer. A Coconino County jury found Bateman guilty on three counts of child abuse after approximately 40 minutes of deliberation. He is scheduled for sentencing on August 25, with each count carrying a mandatory prison term of four to eight years.
The incident occurred in Flagstaff, Arizona, when police stopped Bateman after a witness reported seeing children's fingers reaching through gaps in the trailer's doors. Officers discovered three girls, aged 11 to 14, inside the trailer, which contained a makeshift toilet and seating. Prosecutors argued that Bateman endangered the girls by transporting them in hot conditions within a trailer designed for cargo.
Bateman represented himself during the trial and testified that he did not intend to harm anyone, although he acknowledged the trailer's poor ventilation. He claimed he believed the girls had exited the trailer before he was stopped and expressed shock upon learning they were still inside.
This state conviction follows Bateman's federal conviction for child sex abuse and conspiracy, where he was accused of coercing minors into sexual acts. The federal case has gained attention and is featured in the Netflix series "Trust Me: The False Prophet." Bateman has claimed to have more than 20 'spiritual wives,' including underage girls, and is associated with a religious offshoot linked to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS).
The FLDS church, historically centered in Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, practices polygamy, which the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints abandoned in 1890. The influence of the FLDS church has declined in recent years, with a 2017 court order placing the communities under outside supervision due to concerns about church control over local governance and law enforcement. The towns were released from oversight last year after significant changes were noted in local governance.