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Polygamist 'Prophet' Who Wed Underage Girls Arrested by Authorities - Video

© AP Photo / Coconino County Sheriff's DepartmentThis undated photo provided by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office shows Samuel Bateman, the leader of a small polygamous group near the Arizona-Utah border who faces state child abuse charges, and federal charges of tampering with evidence.
This undated photo provided by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office shows Samuel Bateman, the leader of a small polygamous group near the Arizona-Utah border who faces state child abuse charges, and federal charges of tampering with evidence. - Sputnik International, 1920, 23.12.2022
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Having been caught transporting underage girls in an unventilated trailer, the self-proclaimed "prophet" has since pleaded guilty to charges of child abuse, with his followers claiming that the accusations brought against their leader are false.
Police bodycam footage of the arrest of a self-styled “prophet” with a penchant for polygamy has emerged on social media this week.
The arrest, which took place on August 28 in Arizona, was thrust into the media spotlight this month due to the filing of federal court documents that shed light on the matter.
Samuel Bateman is a former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), an offshoot of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints commonly known as the Mormon Church.
Having parted ways with the former sect, Bateman formed his own group and proclaimed himself a prophet in 2019.
Having taken at least 20 wives, many of them underage girls, Bateman “orchestrated sexual acts involving minors and gave wives as gifts to his male followers,” according to a federal affidavit cited by media.
Deputies arrested Bateman in the city of Flagstaff in Arizona, after authorities discovered that he was driving several underage girls in an unventilated trailer.
Bateman has since pleaded not guilty to state child abuse charges and federal charges of tampering with evidence, with his followers claiming that the accusations brought by federal authorities are false.
Three of Bateman’s wives have also been charged with kidnapping and impeding a foreseeable prosecution after eight girls associated with the “prophet’s” group escaped from state custody in Arizona to be found in Washington state.
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