Samuel Bateman, 50, a self-proclaimed prophet leading an offshoot of a polygamous sect, was sentenced to 24 years in state prison on Tuesday for child abuse convictions. The charges stemmed from an incident in August 2022 when authorities discovered three girls, ages 11 to 14, in a trailer during a traffic stop in Flagstaff. The trailer contained minimal amenities—a makeshift toilet, sofa, and camping chairs—and lacked air conditioning and seat belts. Law enforcement learned of the situation after a witness reported seeing small fingers protruding through gaps in the trailer doors.
Bateman is currently serving a 50-year federal sentence for coercing girls as young as 9 to engage in sexual acts and for conspiracy to kidnap minors from protective custody. His crimes form the basis of a Netflix documentary series. The judge stated that the girls faced an “insane danger” in the trailer conditions and ordered the state sentence to be served after completion of the federal term.
During sentencing, one victim who was present in the trailer described the lasting psychological harm she experienced. The victim, then 14 years old at the time of the traffic stop, stated that Bateman sexually exploited her beginning when she was 12 and that she required therapy to address trauma from experiences that should not have occurred during her childhood.
Bateman maintained he did not intend harm to the girls and represented himself during trial without requesting leniency. He acknowledged knowing the girls were in the hot trailer for extended periods but minimized the severity of conditions. He claimed he believed the girls had exited the vehicle during a stop and expressed shock upon learning they remained inside.
The Coconino County Attorney emphasized that the sentence reflects accountability for harm inflicted on the victims and prevents future opportunities for Bateman to endanger children. Bateman’s group operated as an offshoot of a broader polygamous network spanning Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska, connected to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which historically taught polygamy, discontinued the practice in 1890 and now prohibits it.
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