Polygamous sect leader gets 24 years in prison for child abuse after girls found in trailer

A polygamous sect leader already serving a 50-year federal sentence for orchestrating sex involving children was given another 24 years in prison Tuesday on separate state convictions for child abuse for hauling girls in an unventilated trailer in Arizona.Samuel Bateman, 50, was convicted of three child abuse counts stemming from an August 2022 traffic stop in Flagstaff that led to the discovery of three girls, ages 11 to 14, in the trailer.It had a makeshift toilet, sofa and camping chairs and lacked air conditioning and seat belts.Someone tipped off authorities about the trailer after seeing small fingers reaching through gaps in the doors.Bateman’s small group was an offshoot of the polygamous sect once led by Warren Jeffs.Bateman is currently serving 50 years in federal prison for coercing girls as young as 9 to submit to sex acts with him and other adults and for scheming to kidnap girls from protective custody — the story of which is the focus of the Netflix series, “Trust Me: The False Prophet.”Citing an “insane danger” to the girls in the trailer, among other factors, Judge Joshua Steinlage ordered Bateman to serve the state sentence after completing the 50-year federal sentence.“I love these dear people with all my heart, and I had no intention in the entire world to harm them,” said Bateman, who represented himself in the case and didn’t make a plea for leniency during his sentencing hearing.Victims urged the judge to reject Bateman’s claims that he didn’t mean to harm anyone.One victim who was in the trailer when Bateman was pulled over described the psychological pain she suffered.The victim, who was then 14, said Bateman took advantage of her sexually when she was 12.She said she has had to undergo therapy to recover from “things that should have never happened to me as a child.”“He stole my childhood,” she said.Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.

Please provi...