Samuel Bateman, a self-proclaimed religious prophet who led a group of followers in Utah and Arizona, has been sentenced to an additional 24 years in prison, according to a report published August 25.
Bateman, 50, was found guilty of additional crimes related to the discovery of three girls inside a trailer he was driving.
The incident occurred in 2022 near Flagstaff in northern Arizona after authorities responded to a report of small fingers visible through a trailer door slit. During a traffic stop, officials found three girls, aged between 11 and 14, inside the enclosed cargo trailer.
The unit contained an improvised toilet, a sofa, and camping chairs, but lacked air conditioning and seatbelts. Bateman was previously found guilty in June on three counts of child abuse.
This new sentence will be served consecutively to a federal prison sentence of 50 years. Federal prosecutors had previously described Bateman as the leader of a child sexual abuse network where followers would give him their daughters to become his wives.
Coconino County Attorney Ammon Barker stated that the sentence ensures Bateman will never again be in a position to harm a child. Barker noted that protecting children from abuse is a primary responsibility of the office.
Bateman's religious group emerged as a schism of a polygamous sect once led by Warren Jeffs. Authorities noted that Bateman traveled frequently between Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska while establishing his sect. Bateman previously claimed to have more than 20 spiritual wives, including 10 girls under the age of 18.
