Polygamist leader claimed 20 ‘wives,’ including minors, FBI says - God had told him to give “his girls’ virtue” to some of his male followers

essentialsaltes

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The self-proclaimed prophet claimed it was “impressions of Heavenly Father’s will” that spurred him to force his followers, including children, to engage in sexual acts, according to new allegations from the FBI.

Samuel Rappylee Bateman, a leader of an offshoot of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, allegedly counted his own daughter and other juvenile girls among his more than 20 “wives.” Many of them were younger than 15, an FBI agent wrote in a court document filed Friday.

Bateman, 46, is in federal custody in Arizona on obstruction of justice charges for allegedly asking followers to delete his Signal phone app, which he used to communicate with them and his wives. He has pleaded not guilty to that charge and to state-level child abuse charges.

Bateman has not been charged with sex crimes, although the FBI agent said there is probable cause to believe that he engaged in criminal sexual activity with minors in 2020 and 2021.

In September, the Arizona Department of Child Services took nine girls from Bateman’s compound into custody. Eight of them disappeared two months later from the state-run group homes where they were staying. Sheriff’s officers in Spokane, Wash., later found them leaving an Airbnb in a car driven by one of Bateman’s wives.
 
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essentialsaltes

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In September, the Arizona Department of Child Services took nine girls from Bateman’s compound into custody. Eight of them disappeared two months later from the state-run group homes where they were staying. Sheriff’s officers in Spokane, Wash., later found them leaving an Airbnb in a car driven by one of Bateman’s wives.
Old and busted: your wife kidnapping your children
New hotness: your wives kidnapping your other wives

Three women face federal charges accusing them of kidnapping eight girls by helping them escape the custody of child welfare officials in Arizona. The women and girls are considered to be wives of a polygamous sect leader.
 
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Red Gold

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The self-proclaimed prophet claimed it was “impressions of Heavenly Father’s will” that spurred him to force his followers, including children, to engage in sexual acts, according to new allegations from the FBI.

Samuel Rappylee Bateman, a leader of an offshoot of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, allegedly counted his own daughter and other juvenile girls among his more than 20 “wives.” Many of them were younger than 15, an FBI agent wrote in a court document filed Friday.
Terrible! :(
How could this have ever happened? :(
 
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essentialsaltes

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Polygamous sect member Moroni Johnson pleads guilty to transporting underage girls over state lines

A businessman pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring with the leader of an offshoot polygamous sect near the Arizona-Utah border to transport underage girls across state lines, making him the first [hopefully not last] man to be convicted in what authorities say was a scheme to orchestrate sexual acts involving children.

Moroni Johnson, who faces 10 years to life in prison, acknowledged that he participated in a scheme to transport four girls under the age of 18 for sexual activity. Authorities say the conspiracy between the 53-year-old Johnson and the sect’s leader, self-proclaimed prophet Samuel Bateman [guy in OP], occurred over a three-year period ending in September 2022.

Bateman has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges, including conspiracy to transport a minor for sexual activity, conspiracy to commit tampering in an official proceeding and conspiracy to commit kidnapping of the girls who were placed in state child welfare agency after his arrest. [Trial slated for September]

Others, including the wives involved in post #6, are also facing charges or have pleaded guilty.

#notadragqueen
 
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BPPLEE

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The self-proclaimed prophet claimed it was “impressions of Heavenly Father’s will” that spurred him to force his followers, including children, to engage in sexual acts, according to new allegations from the FBI.

Samuel Rappylee Bateman, a leader of an offshoot of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, allegedly counted his own daughter and other juvenile girls among his more than 20 “wives.” Many of them were younger than 15, an FBI agent wrote in a court document filed Friday.

Bateman, 46, is in federal custody in Arizona on obstruction of justice charges for allegedly asking followers to delete his Signal phone app, which he used to communicate with them and his wives. He has pleaded not guilty to that charge and to state-level child abuse charges.

Bateman has not been charged with sex crimes, although the FBI agent said there is probable cause to believe that he engaged in criminal sexual activity with minors in 2020 and 2021.

In September, the Arizona Department of Child Services took nine girls from Bateman’s compound into custody. Eight of them disappeared two months later from the state-run group homes where they were staying. Sheriff’s officers in Spokane, Wash., later found them leaving an Airbnb in a car driven by one of Bateman’s wives.
20 women are not enough and one is too many
 
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bèlla

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This is a terrible situation and I hope he gets the punishment he deserves. There's a lot of pain to unpack and it's going to take time.

I'm not overly conversant in mormon teachings but I've always found their zealousness concerning. That's what they call it but it's really high pressure tactics coupled with subtle strong-arming you may wrongly associate with passion. There's a hive mind throughout and I'm careful about their influences.

Many years ago most of the traditional content on the Internet was produced by mormon women. Homemaking, food and crafts were their domain. They didn't tell you they were mormon. You'd have to dig into their content to find it. These eventually became the most popular sites because of their support.

I conversed with a few who left the faith and shared their experiences and they were troubling. I always had a niggling feeling about those sites. They weren't quite stepfords but they were close enough where you could see the signs if you knew what to look for.

There's a prototype for mormon women that's emphasized and reinforced. They're subservient and expected to obey their husbands. While I haven't had negative experiences I've always said in the back of my mind don't get too close. Because there's too much coercion. When someone's that entrenched in your head I don't know how far you'll go. And I don't want to be on the wrong side of your compromise.

Many polygamists find others through their girls. They look for them and befriend women they believe he'd like. They don't always tell you upfront. Sometimes they'll share about their relationship and you think it's girl talk but they're really fishing. I'm not surprised the children were betrayed because they're brainwashed.

~bella
 
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