Sam Bateman has been reported in multiple outlets as having at least 20 wives, with many of them described as minors, based on FBI filings and court documents from 2022. A later People article (April 2026) also notes he had more than 20 wives and references his sentencing in that case. Please note that details come from media reporting tied to FBI affidavits and court records, and figures may be updated with new legal developments. If you’d like, I can pull the latest official court filings or provide a concise timeline of the case.[1][5]
Sources
Samuel Bateman was a former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or FLDS, until he left to start his own small offshoot group.
www.boston.comThe leader of a polygamous group was detained after police found him driving three young girls in an enclosed trailer.
www.scmp.comBateman was sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to kidnap and transport a minor for sexual activity.
people.comSamuel Rappylee Bateman claimed it was "Heavenly Father's will" that they participate in sex acts with him and punished followers who did not treat him as a prophet.
news.sky.comSam Bateman allegedly orchestrated sexual acts involving minors and gave wives as gifts to his male followers.
www.cbsnews.comFLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The leader of a small polygamous group near the Arizona-Utah border had taken at least 20 wives, most of them minors, and punished
townlift.comThe affidavit details explicit sexual acts that Samuel Bateman and his followers engaged in to fulfill "Godly duties."
www.cbsnews.comHe was arrested when someone spotted small fingers in the gap of a trailer he was hauling.
www.syracuse.comThe leader of a polygamous group had taken at least 20 wives, most of them minors, and punished followers who did not treat him as a prophet.
komonews.com