Sentencing set for polygamous leader convicted of abuse in Arizona after girls discovered in trailer
Bateman already faces 50 years in federal prison, and each state child abuse count carries a mandatory four- to eight-year term, prosecutors said.
- On Tuesday, Samuel Bateman, already serving 50 years in federal prison, faces sentencing on Arizona state child abuse convictions stemming from an August 2022 traffic stop in Flagstaff.
- The self-proclaimed prophet led an offshoot of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints historically associated with Warren Jeffs and previously claimed to have more than 20 'spiritual wives,' including 10 girls under 18.
- Someone reported seeing small fingers reaching through door gaps, alerting authorities to the three girls, ages 11 to 14, hidden in the trailer. Bateman claimed he was 'shocked as could possibly be' when he learned they were inside.
- Each of the three child abuse counts carries a mandatory sentence between four and eight years. A judge will determine whether terms run consecutively or concurrently, significantly affecting his total incarceration length.
- The influence of the polygamous sect in Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, has waned significantly over time. Both towns were released from court-ordered supervision last summer, almost two years earlier than expected.
27 Articles
27 Articles
Polygamous sect leader to be sentenced in Arizona for girls found in trailer
A polygamous sect leader already serving a 50-year federal prison sentence for orchestrating sex involving children is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday on separate state convictions for hauling girls through a community in northern Arizona in an unventilated trailer.
Associated Press News
Sentencing set for polygamous leader convicted of abuse in Arizona after girls discovered in trailer
A polygamous sect leader already serving a 50-year federal prison sentence for orchestrating sex involving children is scheduled to be sentenced on separate state convictions.
The leader of a polygamous sect who is already serving a 50-year federal prison sentence for orchestrating sexual acts involving children is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday for state sentences separated for transporting girls by a community in northern Arizona in a trailer without ventilation.
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