Polygamous Cult Leader Convicted After Girls Found Trapped in Sweltering Trailer

A polygamous sect leader, already locked away for 50 years due to orchestrating child sex acts, was convicted on state child abuse charges after authorities found three girls trapped in a sweltering trailer he was hauling through Arizona.

In August 2022, a concerned citizen alerted law enforcement after witnessing small fingers reaching through gaps in the trailer doors.

Police intercepted Samuel Bateman’s vehicle in Flagstaff, discovering three girls aged 11 to 14 crammed inside the unventilated space.

The trailer contained a makeshift toilet, a sofa, and camping chairs, but no proper ventilation.

In his federal case, Bateman faced charges for coercing girls as young as 9 into sexual acts with him and other adults. He also plotted to kidnap girls from protective custody, a story now featured in a Netflix series titled “Trust Me: The False Prophet.”

Bateman claimed to have over 20 “spiritual wives,” including 10 minors. During his state trial, he testified that he would never harm those he loves.

Under cross-examination, he admitted knowing the girls were stuck in a hot trailer for hours and that the ventilation was poor, yet he minimized the severity of the situation.

“I just trusted myself as a driver,” he stated. “I asked God to bless me every time we hopped in that vehicle.”

He insisted he thought the girls had exited the trailer during stops and expressed shock upon learning they were still inside when police pulled him over.

Prosecutor Eric Ruchensky hammered home the obvious during closing arguments: “It’s common sense that you don’t carry people in a trailer designed for cargo on a hot day with no ventilation.”

The jury in the state case was not supposed to hear about Bateman’s federal conviction; the judge had barred such evidence. However, Bateman repeatedly referenced it while representing himself, prompting the judge to strike those comments from the record.

After about 40 minutes of deliberation, the jury convicted him on all three counts of child abuse.

Each count carries a mandatory sentence of four to eight years. The judge can decide whether these sentences run consecutively or concurrently. A sentencing hearing is set for August 25.

Federal authorities revealed that Bateman, who calls himself a prophet, traveled extensively across Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska while building an offshoot of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This sect historically operated from Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah.

Bateman and his followers practiced polygamy, a practice abandoned by the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1890 and now strictly prohibited.

He was once a trusted follower of Warren Jeffs, the former sect leader now serving a life sentence in Texas for sexually assaulting children.

The influence of this polygamous sect has significantly declined over time in its historical strongholds.

A court order in 2017 placed these towns under supervision, removing church influence from local governments and police departments.

However, the area has transformed rapidly since then, leading to their release from court-ordered supervision last summer—almost two years ahead of schedule. Practicing sect members now represent only a small fraction of the towns’ populations.

The jury delivered the verdict Friday in about 40 minutes, convicting him on all three counts of child abuse.