Ariz. Polygamous Sect Leader Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Conspiracy for Transporting Underage Girls for Sex

Mar. 15, 2025

A photo of Samuel Bateman from the the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office.Photo: Uncredited/AP/Shutterstock

A polygamist sect leader — who had more than 20 wives, including several who were underage — will spend 50 years in prison, according to multiple reports.

“The amount of harm you caused is nothing short of unmeasurable,” U.S. District Judge Susan Brnovich told Bateman during the sentencing, per AZ Central.

“You should not have the opportunity to be free and never have the opportunity to be around young women,” Brnovich added, per AP. “You took them from their homes, from their families and made them into sex slaves. You stripped them of their innocence and childhood.”

A photo of Samuel Bateman from the the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office.Uncredited/AP/Shutterstock

In his plea agreement, Bateman admitted to coercing underage girls, as young as 9, to engage in sexual activities with him and other adults and for planning to abduct girls and transport them over state lines, according to the outlets.

Several of the victims spoke in court ahead of the sentencing. One girl said, per AZ Central, “This abuse has created a ripple effect that has touched everyone I know,” while another reportedly said, “I hope you feel the pain you caused me as you sit rotting in your cell.”

The affidavit also claimed that Bateman was audio-recorded saying God had instructed him to “give the most precious thing he has, his girls' virtue,” to a handful of adult men and said, “God will fix their bodies and put the membrane back in their body. I’ve never had more confidence in doing his will. It’s all out of love.”

This photo shows Hildale, Utah, where Bateman reportedly lived.AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

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After Bateman’s arrest, FBI agents raided his Arizona home looking for evidence of marriages or sex between children and adults,according to theSalt Lake Tribune. A number of girls ranging in age from 11 to 16 were also removed from Bateman’s Arizona home and taken into Department of Child Services custody.

The girls were placed in various group homes. However, they subsequently vanished for several weeks until they were found again in Spokane, Wash. Prosecutors claimed Bateman instructed his followers from jail to kidnap the girls and transport them over state lines.

Two of Bateman’s followers have been found guilty of charges including interstate travel to persuade or coerce a child to engage in sexual activity. Seven of his adult wives have been convicted of crimes related to coercing children into sexual activities and impeding the investigation into Bateman, per AP.

source: people.com