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littlemissmartypants

(35,468 posts)
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 06:49 AM 8 hrs ago

Polygamous sect leader convicted of abuse charges after girls found in trailer on Arizona highway

Source: AP

A polygamous sect leader already serving a 50-year federal prison sentence for orchestrating sex involving children was convicted Friday on state child abuse charges after girls were found in an unventilated trailer he was hauling through Arizona.

Someone alerted authorities about the trailer in August 2022 after seeing small fingers reaching through gaps in the doors. Police stopped Samuel Bateman’s vehicle as he was driving through Flagstaff and found three girls inside, who were ages 11 to 14 at the time. The trailer was enclosed with a makeshift toilet, a sofa and camping chairs.

In the federal case, Bateman was convicted of coercing girls as young as 9 to submit to sex acts with him and other young adults, and for scheming to kidnap girls from protective custody, the story of which is the focus of a Netflix series, “Trust Me: The False Prophet.”

Bateman previously claimed to have more than 20 “spiritual wives,” including 10 girls under the age of 18. He testified in his own defense in the state case, telling jurors he would never harm the people he loves. He acknowledged during cross-examination that he knew the girls were in a hot trailer for hours and the ventilation wasn’t good, but downplayed the conditions.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/samuel-bateman-trial-arizona-child-abuse-polygamy-1b0504057b9aed19852abb4317d2441c



PHOENIX (AP)
By JACQUES BILLEAUD and JOSH KELETY
Updated 8:44 PM EDT, June 26, 2026
23 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Polygamous sect leader convicted of abuse charges after girls found in trailer on Arizona highway (Original Post) littlemissmartypants 8 hrs ago OP
Netflix documentary is good ninjanurse 8 hrs ago #1
so, what is his drag name? ret5hd 7 hrs ago #2
So this guy is just a creep, who found out he could use religion as a cover for his creepiness FakeNoose 7 hrs ago #3
Isn't he part of that pedophile branch that broke off from the main Mormon church? mwmisses4289 7 hrs ago #4
warren jeffs niyad 6 hrs ago #7
This Jeffs character still communicates murielm99 5 hrs ago #13
Hopefully, mandatory sentences will be consecutive after the federal time JT45242 7 hrs ago #5
Short-eyes... GiqueCee 7 hrs ago #6
Might be Trump squiregeek 6 hrs ago #8
Bars damnit! squiregeek 6 hrs ago #9
The pedophile's acts explains Icanthinkformyself 6 hrs ago #10
The state needs to jail him before Dump can pardon him mdbl 6 hrs ago #11
Pedo Trump can pardon his fellow pedophiles Farmer-Rick 6 hrs ago #12
Two Words: Tina Peters (nt) AZJonnie 2 hrs ago #19
Oh wow a Democratic Governor Farmer-Rick 1 hr ago #22
Yeah, I was super freaking annoyed at Polis over this AZJonnie 48 min ago #23
LOL popsdenver 2 hrs ago #20
Now do Trump and the rest of the Republicans travelingthrulife 5 hrs ago #14
And I've got to wonder- Is this the first and only time he transported girls around like this? NBachers 4 hrs ago #15
Friend of trump dave99 4 hrs ago #16
What kind of sick bastard pulls a trailer so he can rape children at will? 58Sunliner 3 hrs ago #17
Who are the girls? Where did they come from? hunter 3 hrs ago #18
There are few people I would say: Lock em up and throw away the keys,-but it sure fits this jerk!! riversedge 2 hrs ago #21

ninjanurse

(146 posts)
1. Netflix documentary is good
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 07:20 AM
8 hrs ago

Examines how people can be controlled by religion and a dominating leader

mwmisses4289

(5,168 posts)
4. Isn't he part of that pedophile branch that broke off from the main Mormon church?
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 08:06 AM
7 hrs ago

The one the pray and be sweet doc was about? This Bateman guy i think sees himself as the leader since the other guy (jeff, jeffers?) is in prison serving time for the same thing?

murielm99

(33,162 posts)
13. This Jeffs character still communicates
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 09:39 AM
5 hrs ago

with his followers. I have heard his creepy voice. I have often worried that he is going to ask them all to commit mass suicide.

JT45242

(4,238 posts)
5. Hopefully, mandatory sentences will be consecutive after the federal time
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 08:06 AM
7 hrs ago

Reads like they could tack 12-24 years into the end of that term. 74 years would effectively be a life sentence.

squiregeek

(18 posts)
8. Might be Trump
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 08:48 AM
6 hrs ago

You never know what King Rottinghand will do with a pedophile. Pardoning this guy would be so on-brand. The state conviction will keep him behind bards.

Icanthinkformyself

(443 posts)
10. The pedophile's acts explains
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 08:52 AM
6 hrs ago

why Republicans want to reduce or, preferably, remove the 'age of consent' laws. They just love phucking children any way they can. Raping them, taking away their food (SNAP and USAID and other program cuts), their rights (the repeal of child labor laws in Southern states) and, cutting education funding to keep them stupid so they will be agreeable peons. It will be a long time before the positive change that is happening will fully bloom. I hope I live to see the Social Democrats take the reins of power in DC. It will be glorious, as the Klingons say.

mdbl

(8,982 posts)
11. The state needs to jail him before Dump can pardon him
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 09:01 AM
6 hrs ago

Don't just leave him in federal prison. That's where all the criminals go to be released.

Farmer-Rick

(12,862 posts)
12. Pedo Trump can pardon his fellow pedophiles
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 09:10 AM
6 hrs ago

But the state charges can't be pardoned no matter how much Bateman pays Trump.

Farmer-Rick

(12,862 posts)
22. Oh wow a Democratic Governor
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 02:10 PM
1 hr ago

Commuted her sentence. I guess money buys you anything in the United States.

AZJonnie

(4,209 posts)
23. Yeah, I was super freaking annoyed at Polis over this
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 02:36 PM
48 min ago

But it shows that a mechanism exists by which a corrupt, criminal POTUS with immunity, a lapdog Congress and cronies at SCOTUS can leverage their power to get state charges dropped too, even if they can't legally do so directly

popsdenver

(2,821 posts)
20. LOL
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 01:04 PM
2 hrs ago

While what you say is true, there are other ways. Recently, our DINO, Extremely Pro-Corporate Governor Polis pardoned a treasonous election person who had committed a major fraud espionage, and was sentenced to prison in Colorado for 10-20 years......
Polis and Trump had "conversations" and Polis went from saying "No Way."......to agreeing with Trump and commuting her sentence and releasing her......

Maybe Polis wants a position in Washington D.C. now that he cannot run for another term as Colorado Governor??????????
Maybe filling out the rest of Bennet's Senate Term, now that Bennet is running to replace Polis as Colo Governor??????.........
Of course, if Bennet doesn't win the governorship, he will just go back to his Do-Nothing act in the U.S. Senate, along with his sidekicks Hickenlooper and Degette in the house.......

Interestingly DeGette and Bennet have come out of the woodwork recently, both running a ton of political ads saying all that they have done to thwart Trump and Republicans in spite of the fact that we haven't heard a peep out of DeGette, Bennet, Hickenlooper the entire time they have been in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate........It seems to be apparent that there is a bit of Fright going on with them, because many Dems, are, for the first time, confronting Our Colorado.... Do Nothing Dem Politicians.

58Sunliner

(6,462 posts)
17. What kind of sick bastard pulls a trailer so he can rape children at will?
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 12:02 PM
3 hrs ago

Where are the parents? Did they allow this?

riversedge

(82,239 posts)
21. There are few people I would say: Lock em up and throw away the keys,-but it sure fits this jerk!!
Sat Jun 27, 2026, 01:23 PM
2 hrs ago
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