Shivangi Sinha
After Warren Jeffs was arrested, a major shift unfolded within the FLDS community as it left a leadership vacuum and uncertainty among followers. In the aftermath, Samuel Bateman emerged, presenting himself as a self-proclaimed prophet and stepping into a position of authority. Under his influence, the group gradually increased control and reports of abusive practices shaped life within the sect. Netflix’s ‘Trust Me: The False Prophet’ explores this transition in detail by tracing Bateman’s rise to power, the manipulation that defined his leadership, and the series of events that ultimately led to his downfall.
Samuel Bateman Took 20 “Wives” About Half of Whom Were Minors
In 2019, Samuel Rappylee Bateman, who had been part of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) under the control of Warren Jeffs, began claiming that he had been chosen as the next leader. He insisted that he was destined to succeed as a prophet and said he had been receiving visions affirming this role. Around the same time, he was married and had three children. According to an FBI affidavit, it was alleged that he told his daughter he intended to take her as a wife and have a child with her. This led to his wife filing a restraining order and leaving the home with their children. Despite this, reports stated that he allegedly continued contacting the 14-year-old, providing her with a phone, money, and food, and attempting physical contact.
Bateman eventually began claiming that Warren Jeffs was dead, despite the latter being alive and in prison. Bateman asserted that he alone held the prophetic authority to approve marriages. Many followers accepted his claims, calling themselves “Samuelites,” which led to a steady rise in his influence. He took around 20 “brides,” about half of whom were underage, and persuaded several male followers to give up their daughters, often threatening their salvation. His reach spread across Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska. Court records and federal prosecutors outlined that he subjected victims to sexual abuse and arranged their movement across state lines, and in one instance, he allegedly handed one of his “brides” to another follower. In his plea agreement, Bateman acknowledged that recordings of some of his sex crimes were transmitted across state lines via electronic devices.
On August 28, 2022, Bateman was stopped on a highway near Flagstaff after multiple callers reported seeing what appeared to be fingers sticking out of a trailer attached to his truck. When police intervened, they discovered three girls, aged between 11 and 14, inside. He was immediately arrested on three counts of child sexual abuse. Authorities then executed search warrants across his properties, uncovering evidence of additional “brides” and victims. Nine children were placed under the care of the Arizona Department of Child Safety. In November 2022, eight of them went missing. They had been taken with the help of several of his adult “brides,” who authorities stated transported the children to California and then Washington. All of them were later found and safely returned to Arizona. Most of these women were later convicted for their roles in the kidnapping.
Samuel Bateman is Being Held in an Arizona Prison Today
Samuel Bateman faced 52 federal charges, including counts related to transporting minors for illegal sexual activity. In April 2024, he entered a guilty plea to two federal conspiracy charges as part of an agreement that also required pleas from his co-defendants. These included conspiracy to transport minors for criminal sexual activity and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Alongside him, 11 of his followers were indicted, and by 2025, all had been convicted on charges of child sexual abuse. Bateman was sentenced to 50 years for each count, to run concurrently, with lifetime parole if ever released. He is currently in custody in Arizona and is expected to spend the rest of his life in prison.
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