Sentencing set for polygamous leader convicted of abuse in Arizona after girls discovered in trailer
Summary
Samuel Bateman, leader of a polygamous group in Arizona, is set to be sentenced for child abuse related to transporting girls in a hot, unsafe trailer. He is already serving a 50-year federal prison sentence for sexually abusing children and kidnapping schemes.Key Facts
- Samuel Bateman was caught with three girls, ages 11 to 14, inside a trailer lacking air conditioning and seat belts.
- The trailer had a makeshift toilet, sofa, camping chairs, and poor ventilation.
- Authorities were alerted by someone who saw small fingers through gaps in the trailer doors.
- Bateman was convicted of three counts of child abuse, each carrying four to eight years in prison.
- He is already serving 50 years in federal prison for coercing girls as young as 9 into sex acts and kidnapping plans.
- Bateman led a small group linked to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a polygamous sect.
- This sect has roots in communities near the Arizona-Utah border but has lost much influence recently.
- Bateman represented himself in trial and downplayed the trailer conditions, claiming he thought the girls had escaped.
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