Polygamist sect leader who transported young girls in unventilated trailer to be sentenced on state charges

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (TCN) -- A 50-year-old man currently serving 50 years in federal prison is scheduled to be sentenced on separate state child abuse convictions.

In September 2022, Samuel Bateman was arrested when three girls between the ages of 11 and 14 were found inside a trailer he was hauling. Bateman was a leader in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FDLS), a polygamist sect that had broken away from the Mormon church. He had 20 wives, many of whom were underage and had run away from foster homes. 

In 2024, Bateman was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit transportation of a minor for sexual activity and 50 years for conspiracy to commit kidnapping. The sentences are running concurrently. 

On Aug. 25, Bateman will be sentenced on separate state convictions, The Associated Press reports. He was convicted in June of three counts of child abuse in connection with transporting the three girls in the unventilated trailer.

The girls were discovered after someone witnessed children’s fingers through gaps in the trailer doors and called the authorities. There was no air conditioning or seat belts inside, and Bateman reportedly downplayed the living conditions. He also reportedly said he thought the girls had gotten out when he had recently stopped and was shocked they were still inside.

The AP reports that during his closing arguments, Prosecutor Eric Ruchensky said, “It’s common sense that you don’t carry people in a trailer designed for cargo on a hot day with no ventilation.”

Per the AP, each of the counts carries a mandatory sentence of four to eight years and a judge will determine whether the sentences will run consecutively or concurrently. 

Bateman is the subject of the documentary series “Trust Me: The False Prophet,” according to the AP.

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