FLAGSTAFF (AZ)
People Magazine [New York NY]
June 25, 2026
By Liam Quinn
Bateman previously pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and transport a minor for criminal sexual activity
NEED TO KNOW
- Sam Bateman gave his opening statements in an Arizona courtroom on June 24, telling jurors he is a “kind and loving father” who doesn’t “even spank my children”
- He is the leader of a polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints sect and was recently featured in the Netflix docuseries Trust Me: The False Prophet
- Bateman, who is representing himself at trial after being charged with three counts of child abuse, was convicted in 2024 on federal charges involving the transportation of a minor for sexual activity
Sam Bateman, the leader of a polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints sect, is back in court in Arizona facing state child abuse charges — and he is legally representing himself.
Bateman has already been sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court in 2024 to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and transport a minor for criminal sexual activity, according to a 2024 U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona news release.
He was arrested in 2022 after spending the previous years “amassing ‘wives’ from his followers in several states … 10 of whom were under the age of 18,” an earlier release states.
According to prosecutors, Bateman traveled extensively between Nebraska, Utah, Colorado, and Arizona to “claim these ‘wives,'” and “had sex with the minor girls on a regular basis.”
He renewed the practice of plural marriage in the FLDS community after it had been paused following the child sex abuse conviction of former leader Warren Jeffs.
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Bateman, a self-described “prophet,” is now on trial in Arizona, facing three counts of child abuse.
During the first day of his trial, Bateman, who is representing himself, per court records, claimed he is a “kind and loving father” who doesn’t “even spank my children,” according to a video posted by Hidden True Crime.
Bateman was the subject of a recent Netflix docuseries, Trust Me: The False Prophet, which follows the story of a married couple, Christine Marie and Tolga Katas.
The pair moved to the remote FLDS community of Colorado City, Ariz., and became determined to infiltrate the dangerous group and bring down Bateman.
In a TikTok regarding Bateman’s appearance in state court, Marie speculated that Bateman wanted to go to trial and represent himself so he could cross-examine the alleged victims.
“Some of his victims will be in court in the next couple of days to testify against him,” she said.