Samuel Bateman conviction in Arizona child abuse case after girls found in unventilated trailer

Samuel Bateman, a polygamous sect leader already serving a 50-year federal prison term, was convicted on Friday in Arizona on child abuse charges. The case centred on three girls found inside an unventilated trailer Bateman hauled through the state. A jury found Bateman guilty on all three counts after a short deliberation.

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Authorities said the trailer was spotted in 2022 after a report of small fingers reaching through gaps in its doors. Police stopped Bateman’s vehicle as it drove through Flagstaff. Officers then found three girls inside the enclosed trailer. The girls were aged 11 to 14 at the time.

Samuel Bateman child abuse trial and the trailer discovery

Investigators described the trailer as sealed and poorly ventilated. It contained a makeshift toilet, a sofa and camping chairs. In court, Bateman testified in his own defence and denied harming anyone. During cross-examination, Bateman accepted the girls stayed in a hot trailer for hours. Bateman also accepted the ventilation "wasnt good\".

Bateman told jurors, \"I just trusted myself as a driver,\" and added, \"I ask God to bless me every time we hop in that vehicle.\" Prosecutors argued the conditions placed the children at risk. The jury returned the verdict on Friday in about 40 minutes. Bateman was convicted on all three child abuse counts.

Samuel Bateman federal case details and sect background

The state jurors were not meant to hear about Bateman’s federal conviction. The judge barred that evidence from being introduced at trial. However, Bateman raised it several times while representing himself. The judge then struck those comments from the record, according to the court proceedings described.

Federal authorities previously said Bateman coerced girls as young as 9 into sex acts with Bateman and other young adults. The federal case also included a scheme to kidnap girls from protective custody. That story is the focus of the Netflix series, Trust Me: The False Prophet. Bateman earlier claimed more than 20 spiritual wives, including 10 girls under 18.

Investigators said Bateman travelled between Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Nebraska while building an offshoot network. The group linked to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The sect has historical roots in Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah. Followers practised polygamy, which the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ended in 1890.

Authorities also linked Bateman to Warren Jeffs, describing Bateman as a trusted follower. Jeffs previously led the sect and is serving a life sentence in Texas. The Arizona verdict added to Bateman’s legal troubles after the earlier federal conviction. The case began with a tip about the trailer and ended with guilty findings on all counts.

With inputs from PTI