Polygamist sect leader now charged with child sex abuse

Horrifying new details have emerged from an FBI investigation of the self-proclaimed Mormon “prophet” who allegedly raped girls as young as nine and took 20 wives, half of whom were underage.

A new 51-count indictment filed in an Arizona court reveals false new allegations against Samuel Rapille Bateman, 47, who in 2019 claimed to be the successor to Warren Jeffs, founder of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-day Saints. The Fundamentalists were former leaders of the Church. A polygamous sect. Jeff—known to followers as “Uncle Warren”—is currently serving life in prison for child sexual assault, after 12 of his 78 “wives” were revealed to be under the age of 15. .

According to court records, Bateman convinced some of his early followers that he had “the influences of the late Father’s will”, and encouraged them to “witness” to other potential followers that Bateman was “Uncle Warren”. were wishing for.

The FLDS emerged in the early 20th century, when a group broke away from the Mormon Church over a disagreement about “plural marriage”. The sect made its home in Short Creek, a community of two towns on the border of Utah and Arizona.

Bateman was born and raised in Short Creek, according to a profile in Salt Lake Tribune, He became more religious after suffering a brain injury in a serious car accident as a teen, friends told the paper. In 2019, two years after Jeff was found guilty on child sex abuse charges, Bateman began declaring himself Jeff’s successor, according to court documents.

Prosecutors say that as his following grew, Bateman began taking multiple adult wives. Then, according to court documents, he began soliciting his underage daughters from his followers as wives. Prosecutors say Bateman eventually “married” ten underage girls.

Prosecutors say Bateman told a follower that “God” wanted him to marry the man’s nine-year-old daughter, and that he would be “blessed for his loyalty.” According to court documents, Bateman told the girl that “the devil doesn’t like what we’re doing”. In all, Bateman “married” the man’s five daughters, ages 9, 10, 11, 13, and 14.

Prosecutors say that after raping the 14-year-old daughter of one of his followers, Bateman recorded that he “slept with Angel Mama tonight”. On another occasion, Bateman offered one of his followers sex with an underage girl, in exchange for Bateman having sex with the man’s wife, the documents allege.

According to the latest indictment, Bateman not only raped and sexually abused his underage wives, but also “coached” them to participate in sexual acts in front of other followers. Prosecutors say they also filmed “group sexual activity involving minors” that followers in various states could participate in. On several occasions, Bateman referred to the abuse as a “sacred ordinance,” court documents show.

On one occasion, Bateman drank and had sex with a male follower, Moroni Johnson, in a motel room in Lincoln, Nebraska in front of his underage wives, previous court documents allege, some of whom were Johnson’s own daughters. . The FBI stated that women and girls were required to stand naked and watch the “brothers bond”.

To keep tight control over his followers, Bateman “reprimanded” them if he felt they were disobedient and required them to make a “confession”, court papers allege. Torrance Bistline, one of Bateman’s followers, reportedly bought Bateman a luxury Bentley car. According to court documents, Bateman witnessed when Bistline had sex with a 12-year-old girl. Shortly afterwards, Bestline reportedly bought Bateman a second Bentley. According to prosecutors, another follower, Ladell Bistline Jr., also bought Bateman two Range Rovers.

Bateman reportedly told a follower, “Your children will doze off until you repent in sackcloth and ashes.”

Short Creek residents reported Bateman to authorities several times between 2020 and 2022. Salt Lake Tribune, According to the paper, federal agents searched his home in search of evidence that he was taking multiple wives or sexually abusing minors. The Arizona Department of Children’s Services also attempted to interview Bateman’s adult “wives” about possible abuse, but according to court records, they would not cooperate.

In August 2022, Bateman was pulled over in Arizona and officers found three young girls inside a locked cargo trailer. The following month Bateman’s home was raided and he was charged with attempting to destroy records in a federal investigation. When he realized the authorities were closing in on him, he reportedly instructed his followers to delete their Signal messenger app.

Following the raids, the state took into custody nine girls aged between 11 and 16. But in November 2022, eight girls disappeared from Arizona. They met with an adult female follower of Bateman’s at an Airbnb in Spokane, Washington. It later emerged that Bateman had been in contact with his adult “wives” via video call from prison, and had instructed them to kidnap the girls. Bateman’s phone privileges at the Florence Correctional Center were revoked after authorities found he also engaged in “explicit sexual conversations” with underage girls.

Bateman’s three adult wives—Naomi Bistline, Donna Barlow and Moretta Rose Johnson—were charged with kidnapping in December 2022. He could face life in prison. The latest indictment charges ten of Bateman’s followers as co-conspirators in a child sex trafficking conspiracy.

Bateman himself is facing new charges of transporting minors for criminal sexual activity and the manufacture of “child pornography”, as well as his previous obstruction charges.