Key facts
- Polygamous sect leader Samuel Bateman was convicted on state child abuse charges.
- Bateman is already serving a federal sentence.
- Three girls were found in a trailer Bateman was hauling.
- Bateman was found guilty of coercing girls as young as nine into sex acts.
- Bateman was convicted of scheming to kidnap the girls from protective custody.
Samuel Bateman, a leader within a polygamous sect, has been convicted on state child abuse charges. This conviction comes while Bateman is already serving a federal sentence. The state charges stem from an incident where three girls were found in a trailer that Bateman was hauling.
During the trial, Bateman was found guilty of coercing the girls, some as young as nine years old, into performing sex acts. Additionally, he was convicted of plotting to kidnap the children from protective custody. The details of the federal sentence Bateman is currently serving were not specified in the provided information, but the state charges add to his legal troubles.
The case highlights ongoing concerns regarding the welfare of children within certain isolated religious communities. The conviction of Bateman on these serious charges is a significant development in the legal proceedings against him.