Arizona polygamist cult leader Samuel Bateman had 20 wives, most under age 15
According to the FBI, an accused polygamist cult leader in Arizona had 20 wives, including underage girls and one who was possibly his own daughter. KTLA’s sister station WTVO reports.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation filed an affidavit in federal court on Friday accusing Samuel Rappylee Bateman, 46, of transporting minors between Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and Nebraska to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
He has not been charged with sexual abuse, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, but was arrested on charges of child abuse. He has been in jail since his arrest.
Bateman pleaded not guilty in September to charges of tampering with evidence and attempting to destroy records after he was stopped on a highway and police found young girls inside an enclosed trailer. Read more: ktla