FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — A polygamous sect leader already serving a 50-year federal prison sentence for child sex abuse is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday on three separate state convictions for transporting three girls in an unventilated trailer.
Samuel Bateman, 50, was convicted of three counts of child abuse stemming from an August 2022 traffic stop in Flagstaff, Arizona. Authorities discovered the girls, aged 11 to 14, inside the trailer, which lacked air conditioning, seat belts, and proper ventilation. A tip from a passerby alerted police after they observed small fingers protruding from gaps in the trailer doors.
Each of the three child abuse counts carries a mandatory sentence between four and eight years. The presiding judge will determine whether the sentences run consecutively or concurrently.
Bateman, whose group is an offshoot of the polygamous sect once led by Warren Jeffs, is currently serving his federal sentence for coercing girls as young as 9 into sex acts and scheming to kidnap minors from protective custody. Prosecutors have stated that Bateman claimed to have more than 20 "spiritual wives," including 10 girls under the age of 18.
During the state trial, Bateman acknowledged knowing the girls were in a hot, poorly ventilated trailer for hours but claimed he believed they had exited when the vehicle stopped. He stated he was "shocked as could possibly be" upon learning they remained inside when he was pulled over. Bateman, who is not a lawyer, represented himself during the trial.
The case has drawn attention due to its connection to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), historically based in Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah. Bateman’s group is described as a smaller offshoot of this larger movement. Federal authorities have noted that Bateman traveled extensively between Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska as he expanded his network.