Polygamous Leader Convicted on Child Abuse | Pittsburgh News

Samuel Bateman, the leader of a polygamous sect and already serving a 50-year federal sentence, just got convicted on state child abuse charges in Arizona — a case tied to a 2022 incident where police found three underage girls suffocating in a poorly ventilated trailer. Despite claiming he’d never harm loved ones, Bateman admitted the girls were trapped in the cramped space for hours. Known for his “spiritual wives,” including minors, he also faced federal charges for coercing girls into sex acts and plotting kidnappings. Though the state trial was meant to focus on the trailer incident, Bateman repeatedly brought up his federal case. His sect operates near the Arizona-Utah border and was even featured on Netflix. Sentencing is set for August. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/6fe6620ef954ef49