Sentencing set for polygamous leader convicted of abuse after girls found in trailer
Summary
Samuel Bateman, a leader of a polygamous sect, is set to be sentenced for child abuse after authorities found three girls inside a hot, unventilated trailer during a traffic stop in Arizona. Bateman is already serving a 50-year federal prison sentence for sexual crimes involving children and kidnapping.Key Facts
- Samuel Bateman was caught in August 2022 with three girls aged 11 to 14 in a trailer lacking proper ventilation, air conditioning, and seat belts.
- The trailer had a makeshift toilet, sofa, and camping chairs.
- Bateman pleaded guilty to three state child abuse charges; each carries 4 to 8 years in prison.
- He is currently serving 50 years federally for sexually abusing girls as young as 9 and for plotting kidnappings.
- Bateman led a breakaway group of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which practices polygamy.
- Polygamy is banned by the mainstream LDS Church since 1890.
- Authorities discovered the girls after a tip about small fingers seen through the trailer doors.
- The towns historically linked to the sect have changed significantly, with court supervision ending early due to reforms.
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