In a high-profile case near the Arizona-Utah border, the leader of an offshoot polygamous sect has pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges, including transporting underage girls across state lines for sexual acts. Samuel Bateman, a self-proclaimed prophet, admitted to taking underage brides, engaging in sexual activity with them, and arranging group sex, sometimes involving child brides. Bateman was arrested in 2022 after three girls, between the ages of 11 and 14, were found in an enclosed trailer with no ventilation. He was later charged with obstructing justice in a federal investigation, and nine children were removed from his home and placed in foster care.
Authorities say Bateman created a sprawling network across four states, attempting to start an offshoot of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which practices polygamy in defiance of mainstream Mormon teachings. Bateman is accused of giving wives as gifts to his male followers and engaging in sexual activity with minor girls on a regular basis. Charges are pending against several individuals identified as his wives and followers, with allegations of using interstate commerce to persuade minors to engage in sexual activity. Some of Bateman’s male followers were instructed to engage in sex with his wives as a form of atonement.
Those involved in the case also face charges of conspiracy to commit tampering with an official proceeding, related to the plot to free eight girls from state custody. Bateman’s followers were pressured to confess publicly for their indiscretions, with punishments ranging from time-outs to public shaming and sexual activity, all claimed to come from divine orders. One follower, Moroni Johnson of Colorado City, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring with Bateman to transport underage girls over state lines. Sentencing for Bateman is recommended at 20 to 50 years in prison, with a maximum possible sentence of life.
Bateman’s group practices polygamy as a means of achieving exaltation in heaven, a belief that conflicts with mainstream Mormon teachings. The case has shed light on the secretive world of polygamous sects, with allegations of widespread sexual abuse and exploitation of minors. The FBI has been involved in investigating the case, detailing Bateman’s extensive travels between states and involvement in recording and transmitting sexual activity across state lines. Authorities have also highlighted the role of Bateman’s wives and followers in the criminal activities, with charges pending against several individuals involved in the scheme.
The revelations in the case have raised concerns about the extent of illegal activities within polygamous sects and the treatment of women and children in such communities. The case highlights the importance of law enforcement efforts to uncover and prosecute crimes within secretive and closed-off groups, where individuals may be vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. The sentencing of Bateman and others involved in the case will serve as a means of delivering justice and sending a message that such behavior will not be tolerated in society. The case also underscores the need for continued vigilance and intervention to protect individuals at risk within isolated and insular communities.
