USA: ’20 wives, including 10 minors’: Polygamous cult leader faces legal cases in Arizona

A shocking case emerged in the United States (USA) state of Arizona, in which a polygamous cult leader and some of his followers were charged with allegedly conspiring to travel across state lines to obtain “wives”. A federal grand jury on Wednesday returned an indictment against Samuel Rappylee Bateman, 47, of Colorado City, Ariz., and 10 of his supporters, authorities said Thursday.

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

Accused of alleged production of child pornography

They said Bateman traveled extensively between Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Nebraska and allegedly had sex with the underage girls on a regular basis. The superseding indictment also charges Bateman with producing child pornography.

It alleges that in late November 2020, Bateman coordinated a group sexual activity in a Colorado Springs hotel room with some of his followers, and that included underage girls.

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

Bateman was previously charged with kidnapping, child abuse and evidence tampering, and has pleaded not guilty. A call to one of Bateman’s attorneys seeking comment on the case was not immediately returned Thursday.

Bateman and three of his 10 supporters charged in the superseding indictment are scheduled for arraignment Friday in Phoenix federal court. Authorities said five others would appear in court Thursday in St. George, Utah, while one woman is in custody awaiting trial in Phoenix and another awaits a May 30 detention hearing in Flagstaff, Arizona.
(With AP inputs)

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