Polygamous sect leader accused of taking more than 20 wives — half of them girls under 18

The leader of a polygamous sect and several of his followers have been indicted for allegedly conspiring to travel across Arizona state lines and obtain “wives” for themselves, authorities said Thursday.

A federal grand jury on Wednesday issued a superseding indictment against Samuel Rappylee Bateman, 47, of Colorado City, Ariz., and 10 of his followers.

Authorities accused Bateman of taking more than 20 wives, including 10 girls under the age of 18.

The amended indictment also charged Bateman with production of child pornography.

They said that in late November 2020, Bateman coordinated group sexual activity in a Colorado Springs hotel room with several of his followers, including underage girls.

Bateman and three of his 10 followers accused in the superseding indictment are scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Phoenix, Ariz., federal court.

Authorities said the other five had initial court appearances Friday in St. Louis. George, Utah, while one woman is being held pending trial in Phoenix and the other is awaiting a May 30 detention hearing in Flagstaff, Ariz.

Bateman was arrested last year and remains in federal custody awaiting trial, which is scheduled for March 5, 2024.

He was previously charged with kidnapping, child abuse and tampering with evidence, and he pleaded not guilty.

A call from The Associated Press to one of Bateman’s attorneys seeking comment on the case was not immediately returned Thursday.

The accused allegedly ‘trained’ minors

The indictment adds to a raft of charges filed against Bateman last year in Arizona and federal courts.

The May 18 documents provide new details about how Bateman – with the help of followers – took a wife at the age of nine.

In December, federal prosecutors charged Bateman and several of his wives with kidnapping minors and obstructing prosecution for helping young girls associated with the group flee Arizona.

The FBI affidavit published in December as part of the case claimed that Bateman took more than 20 wives, including 10 girls under the age of 18. Although it was detailed that he involved minors in sexual activities, the latest indictment expands on the allegations and the first to. accuse him of doing so.

He said Bateman traveled a lot between Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Nebraska and allegedly had sex with minor girls on a regular basis. It also charges Bateman with the production of child pornography, alleviating some of the sexual activity transmitted through the country through electronic devices.

It did not specify whether the meeting was recorded or happened via video or text. Relying on journals, day planners and text messages, Bateman allegedly initiated sexual encounters with a group of followers in a hotel room, including one that began with “foot washing” inspired by a religious rite. He traded wives back and forth with male followers.

The indictment also alleges Bateman “encouraged minors to engage in sexual activity and coached them to do so,” including with girls so young that he once interfered when someone set fire to their bed.

He told girls aged 10 and younger, “You’re mine,” and one of the alleged nine or 10-year-olds described the sexual encounter as “definitely scary.”

The indictment also alleges several followers — both men and women — denied allegations of abuse, including their own children, when interviewed by the Arizona Department of Child Safety.

A branch of a religious sect

The indictment alleges Bateman worked hard to win followers in at least four states to start his own small branch group of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS).

The FLDS itself is a sect of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The sect is known for its leader, Warren Jeffs, serving a life sentence in a federal prison in Texas.

Polygamy is a legacy of the early teachings of the mainline church, commonly known as the Mormon church, but it abandoned the practice in 1890 and is now strictly prohibited.