Polygamous sect leader is convicted of child abuse charges after girls found in enclosed trailer on an Arizona highway

Samuel Bateman, a self-proclaimed prophet already serving a 50-year federal sentence for child sexual abuse, was convicted on state child abuse charges. Authorities stopped Bateman in Flagstaff, Arizona, after reports of fingers visible through a trailer's gaps. Police discovered three girls, aged 11 to 14, inside an unventilated enclosed trailer containing a makeshift toilet, sofa, and camping chairs. The conviction follows the 2022 incident where the girls were found during the highway transit.