Polygamous leader in Arizona had more than 20 'wives,' including children, feds say

[riversedge]

Seems this creep had a preference for blonds [at least in this pic the women are blond]
I am so glad to girls were able to escape.





Polygamous leader in Arizona had more than 20 ‘wives,’ including children, feds say
Samuel Bateman, who was arrested in September on federal charges, said it was the "Heavenly Father's will" he participate in sex acts with minors, an FBI affidavit alleges.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/polygamous-leader-arizona-20-wives-children-feds-say-rcna60319?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma


Girls who escaped Arizona polygamist group found in Washington state

Dec. 6, 2022, 5:42 PM CST


A “self-proclaimed prophet” had more than 20 wives, including minors, and said it was the “Heavenly Father’s will” he participate in sex acts with them, according to an FBI affidavit.

Samuel Rappylee Bateman, of Colorado City, Arizona, said it was the will of God to encourage his followers, “including the minor children, to engage in sexual acts," according to the affidavit filed Friday in federal court in the Eastern District of Washington.

Bateman was the leader of a branch of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the affidavit said.

The affidavit was filed one day after authorities tracked down eight girls — who had been under Bateman's care but were placed in state custody in Arizona — to an Airbnb in Washington state. The girls had escaped from their group homes in Arizona, the affidavit said.

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“I have reviewed a number of the journals seized during the search warrants, and there are details referenced by several of the girls about sleeping with Bateman, kissing him, and touching him,” the affidavit said.
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The federal charges allege destruction of records or an attempt to destroy records in an official proceeding; tampering or attempting to tamper with an official proceeding; and destruction of records in a federal investigation, authorities have said....................................................

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=pQtsIahy7XIn2HZ6Hd0gnA

[KarenS]

1. I just looked it up,,,

there are many blonde haired blue eyed Mormons in the Western US because several thousand Mormon converts from Scandanavia migrated here in the 1800's.

[Doc Sportello]

3. Scandanavia and other countries with similar ethnicities were targeted by Mormon leaders

For what they saw as the attractiveness of their younger females. They were sent to Utah just for the purpose of becoming sister wives. Unfortunately for the old pervs, the young male missionaries in Europe recruiting them began marrying those women themselves while the leders were being sent the ... ahem ... less attractive and older women. The elders soon put a stop to that. That's why the Mormon church to this day won't allow missionaries to marry.

[KarenS]

5. and thank you for the additional information,,,,

all of this is so despicable. But I had noticed as well that there alot of blonde Mormons here in Arizona. All of this explains a lot.

[TexasBushwhacker]

8. Well, young Mormon men in these polygamous sects are victims too

The young women get snatched up by the old pervs, often being forced into these marriages by their own parents.

This leaves all the young men who grew up in these families with no potential partners unless they leave the polygamous sect. Of course, like mainstream Mormonism, leaving the sect means being shunned by all of their family and friends. Many commit suicide, or just leave and try to fend for themselves with nothing but "Book of Mormon" based homeschooling. If they don't leave willingly, they get excommunicated.

They call them "lost boys".

[Timeflyer]

2. Religion--so useful when you want to exploit women/children and indulge dark urges.

[Doc_Technical]

11. Amen

[PaulRevere08]

4. Had to stop once in Colorado City while

camping on the North Rim for gas and supplies. Middle of nowhere and like stepping back in time. Got a lot of stares at the Parley Reds food store. Every house was huge, almost compound-like.

[Doc Sportello]

7. Same for me

Stopped there once at that same store and only had a small notion of what the town was - not as well known back then. I usually try to be nice to people at these type of stops, but boy the vibe there was different. As I drove away, it hit me: oh yeah that's that fundamentalist Mormon town.

[cbabe]

6. See something, say something:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/dec/07/arizona-polygamous-cult-leader-child-abuse-samuel-bateman

The children were found last week hundreds of miles (kilometers) away in Spokane, Washington….

So far Bateman, who was arrested in August when somebody spotted a child’s fingers poking through the gap of a trailer he was driving through Flagstaff, faces charges relating to destruction of evidence, each carrying up to 20 years in prison.

…

[Elessar Zappa]

9. Colorado City is such a creepy place.

I stopped for gas there a few years ago and it had a “deliverance” vibe to it.

[SunSeeker]

10. How did he manage to get convince all these women/girls to marry him?

And what family would let their minor child be married off to him?

This scumbag, and his enablers, need to be in jail.


I hope these women and girls find help and a better life.

[RussBLib]

12. A "self-proclaimed prophet"

Ugh. Just look at what religion does to people. So many are still so susceptible.