The leader of a polygamous group on the Arizona-Utah border took at least 20 wives, most of them underage, federal court documents say. He has pleaded not guilty to state child abuse charges and federal charges of tampering with evidence.
Bateman was a former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, until he left in recent years and started his own small offshoot group, said Sam Brower, who has spent years investigating the group. Bateman was once among the trusted followers of imprisoned leader Warren Jeffs, but Jeffs denounced Bateman in a written revelation sent to his followers from prison, Brower said.
Federal officials contend Bateman engaged in horrific acts with children and called upon his followers to help cover his tracks. He demanded that his followers confess publicly for any indiscretions, and shared those confessions widely, according to the FBI affidavit. He claimed the punishments, which ranged from a time out to public shaming and sexual activity, came from the Lord, the affidavit states.
At the time of the September arrest, authorities removed nine children from Bateman’s home in Colorado City and placed them in foster care. Barlow has lived in Colorado City much of her life and has a 2-year-old with special needs, McVickers said in arguing for her to be released from custody. Barlow was educated at home through the 7th grade, and has no independent source of income and no criminal history, McVickers said.Prosecutor Wayne Venhuizen noted Bistline and Barlow were communicating with Bateman about the children.
FBI spokesperson Kevin Smith declined Tuesday to discuss the trajectory of the case against the women and Bateman. Court records allege Bateman, 46, engaged in child sex trafficking and polygamy, but none of his current charges relate to those allegations. Bateman’s attorney in the federal case, Adam Zickerman, did not respond to requests for comment.
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