She escaped the FLDS and helped uncover their crimes; now she hopes the system will serve justice
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The sentencing date for offshoot polygamous leader and self-proclaimed FLDS prophet Samuel Bateman, originally scheduled for August 30, 2024, has been pushed back to October.
Bateman, who came into power in 2019 after infamous FLDS prophet Warren Jeffs was imprisoned, faces 51 felonies, including counts of sexually abusing young girls he claimed as his wives.
In April 2024, Bateman agreed to a plea deal for conspiring to kidnap and transport underage girls across state lines for sex acts.
“We’re getting calls about hands sticking out of a vehicle, out of the trailer,” an officer says on body camera footage that captured the harrowing rescue.
“Everyone out of the car. Show me your hands!” you can hear an officer say. “Do you guys have names?” the officer is trying to ask the girls, who are all dressed in traditional FLDS clothing.
They gave no response. The girls were just three of Bateman’s 10 child brides.
“They were groomed. They were brainwashed. They were trained to not say anything to government authorities,” said Faith Bistline, a family member of some of the girls in the trailer.
Bistline escaped the FLDS years ago and tried to uncover Bateman’s crimes, but her efforts failed at the time.
“I got involved because I knew my little sisters were being abused,” Faith said. “I didn’t have a lot of hard evidence for them, and I guess that’s why they couldn’t act.”
Shortly after his August 2022 arrest, Bateman was released on bond. He was re-arrested in September 2022 after the FBI raided his two homes in Colorado City. During the raid, authorities rescued nine children and placed them in DCS custody.
From behind bars, Bateman helped concoct a scheme with his adult wives to kidnap the girls from state custody.
“It’s a closed secretive society,” said Matt Browning, who is a retired undercover detective now working to infiltrate cults. “This whole thing is human trafficking at its finest. It’s all they’re doing. They’re trafficking kids for the purpose of sex.”
Law enforcement found the girls days later in Spokane, Washington, on Dec. 1.
Despite evidence of forcing minors to watch and take part in sex acts, distributing pornography, and kidnapping, Bateman’s wives — Brenda Barlow, Marona Johnson and Leia Bistline — were only charged with conspiracy to commit tampering with an official proceeding.
“Why would you possibly plea down anything when kids were being hurt the way that Sam Bateman hurt kids,” said Matt Browning, who is a retired undercover detective now working to infiltrate cults like this.
Some family members and survivors of the sect believe Bateman’s wives are victims caught up in his cult.
“Leia Joelle Bistline is my daughter,” said LaDell Bistline Sr, who stood outside the federal courthouse. “She’s just a victim. As far as I’m concerned, Samuel Bateman’s God is the devil. And he’s a fraud.”
Despite condemning Bateman, LaDell Bistline Sr is still part of the FLDS.
During the sentencing, Leia revealed she still considers herself a spiritual wife of Samuel Bateman.
“I was sorry to hear that. I would hope, and I still fully believe, that all these people will eventually come around,” Bistline Sr said.
That remains to be seen, but the young girls who were rescued two years ago from Bateman’s home and trailer are starting to form their own thoughts and beliefs.
“It’s different for each of them, but for the most part they’re doing good. They’re in school; they have all decided they do not believe in Sam Bateman anymore, and they want to live their own life,” said Faith Bistline, who now helps care for the girls.
Detective Matt Browning says the journey out of an abusive environment like the one Bateman created is a difficult one.
“You have to be with somebody who has left that, who can understand and know what that is,” Browning said. “They have to feel love, they have to feel trust.”
Faith Bistline awaits to hear of Bateman’s fate and what she hopes will be justice for his crimes.
“I don’t think people realized the length Faith wanted to go to get these people shut down. Amazing. Amazing what she was willing to sacrifice and do just on her end,” Browning said.
Bateman’s plea agreement recommends 20 to 50 years behind bars, but one of his convictions carries a possible life sentence. He is set to be sentenced on October 29, 2024.
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