Religious Leader with More Than 20 Spiritual 'Wives,' Many Underage, Sentenced for Child Sex Crimes

The sentence comes after a plea deal, per The Associated Press, that saw the self-proclaimed religious sect leader -- who claimed more than 20 spiritual "wives," with 10 of them under the age of 18 -- plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit transportation of a minor for sexual activity, and one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping.

In his deal, Bateman admitted to persuading multiple children into having sex with him, as well as arranging sex between children and some of his followers in his religious group.

The first charge carries a sentence of 10 years to life, while the second can lead to a life sentence. The plea agreement allowed a sentence between 20 to 50 years. Bateman was sentenced to the maximum of 50 years on each count, with those sentences to be served concurrently.

Bateman's small religious group was an offshoot of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, once led by Warren Jeffs. The 69-year-old Jeffs is currently serving a life sentence for various sex crimes related to a 15-year-old and 12-year-old child brides after his 2011 conviction.

The FLDS was founded in the early 20th century in opposition of the LDS Church's repudiation of polygamy in 1890. The LDS disavows any connection to the FLDS, despite their shared history until the split.

Bateman was reportedly a trusted follower of Jeffs, per The AP, with both men declaring themselves "prophets" of the FLDS. Jeffs, however, denounced Bateman in a written "revelation" to his followers sent from prison. Bateman's offshoot FLDS, which still used the same name, was built on the Arizona-Utah line in the communities of Colorado City, AZ and Hildale, UT.

According to his plea agreement, Bateman told his followers in 2019 and 2020 that he was acting on orders given to him by the "Heavenly Father" when he began taking women and female children from his male followers to be his "wives."

None of these "marriages" were legally sanctified or recorded, but Bateman told authorities that upon each new union, he began illicit sexual contact with that adult woman or girl, per The AP.

Additionally, Bateman had his followers confess their indiscretions publicly, with the punishments for some male followers including them surrendering their wives and daughters to him.

Lawyers for several of his "wives," many of whom are facing charges of their own for involvement in his alleged illicit sex with minors schemes, described a bit of their upbringing in his FLDS, as detailed by The AP.

One spoke in court that his client was taught that sexual activity with children was acceptable and she was tricked into "marrying" their religious sect leader, Bateman. Another said her client was given to Bateman like a piece of property by another man, saying she felt she had no agency or personal choice in the matter.

As part of their investigation into Bateman after his first arrest in August 2022, police uncovered that he allegedly traveled in a network between Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska, where he regularly coerced underage girls into getting involved with criminal sexual activity, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona, which noted that 10 of his collected "wives" were under the age of 18.

It was while driving through Flagstaff, Arizona in August 2022 that someone spotted what appeared to be children's fingers reaching through slats in the door of the trailer he was pulling.

When police pulled him over and looked inside, they found the trailer had a makeshift toilet, sofa, camping chairs, and no ventilation, per The AP. It also contained three underage girls, aged 11 to 14 years old.

Bateman was able to post bond after this initial arrest, but was again picked up when he was accused of obstructing justice in the federal investigation into allegations of transporting children across state lines for sex crimes.

After nine children were taken from Bateman's home following his initial arrest, eight of them were kidnapped from foster care. They were later tracked down in Washington state, where they'd purportedly been driven by one of Bateman's "wives," according to the outlet.

Bateman confessed to his involvement in this kidnapping plot, with the U.S. Attorney's Office naming three additional co-conspirators in those charges. All four were charged with unlawfully removing minors from the custody of the Arizona Department of Child Safety and fleeing across state lines in order to evade law enforcement.

They were all also charged with charges of tampering with an official proceeding and conspiracy to tamper with an official proceeding, as well as kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, adding to Bateman's previous charges of destruction of records in an official proceeding, tampering with an official proceeding, and destruction of records in a federal investigation.

In relation to underage sex trafficking across stage lines, the U.S. Attorney's Office adds six co-conspirators, with Bateman also charged with production of child pornography in relation to a video call to a follower in Colorado City from a hotel room where an alleged group sex activity involving at least one nude minor was occurring.

Video footage was also described in court at Bateman's sentencing from a couple who secretly began filming his religious organization in February 2021 under the guise of making a documentary, but really in an effort to uncover suspected abuse. Christine Marie and her husband are part of the nonprofit Voices for Dignity, per The Arizona Republic.

Some of that footage included Bateman explaining that there was no adultery, darkness or guilt in sex, but rather they were acts of "obedience." Girls in the footage, per court records, "were crying on the recording, said they hurt but there was not darkness."

"We don’t have a documented religion the way we live, we just do what feels peaceful and good," Bateman said in an interview segment filmed by Marie that was shown at his sentencing, per the Republic. In another clip, he noted, "Not one of these girls wanted to marry me."

In sharing the details of his plea agreement, federal prosecutors noted that it is contingent on all of his alleged co-conspirators also pleading guilty, as well as restitution of $1 million per victim.

Seven of his "wives" were also convicted of child sex crimes, with some telling authorities they were involved in coercing new girls to become his spiritual "wives." They also claimed to have witnessed him having sex with underage girls, and participating in group sex involving minors.

Two brothers in Colorado City have also been convicted over their involvement in alleged kidnapping and coercion of minors into illicit sexual activity. One bought Bateman two Bentleys while the other bought him a Range Rover. Their sentencings are set for next week, with each facing 10 years to life.

Three teen girls spoke out at Bateman's sentencing about the trauma they endured as part of his FLDS and at his hands, per The AP. They opened up about struggling now to make friends in high school as they adjusted to their new lives in foster homes.

"This abuse has created a ripple effect that has touched everyone I know," said one minor, per The Arizona Republic. "Sam, you have no power over me. I hope you feel the pain you caused me as you sit rotting in your cell."

Another minor told the courtroom that she wasn't speaking for the girl she is today who "has a safe home," but "for the child who doesn't have a voice, who's being exploited, who wakes up every day a slave to the twisted passions of an evil person."

She said that Bateman treated the girls like toys, of which he would soon get bored, saying they meant nothing to him. She then said that while no one who hasn't endured what they did can understand trying to heal from it, she'd try to explain.

"It's not daring to feel the pain because you don't know if you can stand it. It's lying in your bed, and I wonder if you even matter to anyone. It's endless therapy sessions full of tears that seem to solve nothing," she said, per the Republic.

"It's not daring to trust anyone because you don't want to be hurt again," she continued. "It's a heart that's shattered into a billion pieces that seem impossible to put back together."

After his sentence, the teens could be seen in court hugging and weeping, per The AP.

In sentencing Bateman on Monday, U.S. District Judge Susan Brnovich said, "You should not have the opportunity to be free and never have the opportunity to be around young women," adding that "the amount of harm you caused is nothing short of unmeasurable."

She also noted that at 48 years old, this 50 year sentence is effectively a life sentence.

"You took them from their homes, from their families and made them into sex slaves," she told Bateman of his victims. "You stripped them of their innocence and childhood."

If you are experiencing or witness child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911.