The self-proclaimed Bible prophet, from northern Mojave County, is scheduled to attend a status conference next week as he awaits trial in federal district court on dozens of federal charges, including child sex trafficking and kidnapping.
Samuel R. Bateman, 46, of Colorado, has been in custody in an Arizona prison facility since being arrested by federal authorities last September. And Mr. Bateman’s phone and video conferencing privileges were allegedly used by federal investigators to orchestrate the abduction of eight child victims from an Arizona Department of Child Services group home. As a result, Bateman’s phone and video conferencing privileges have been severely restricted since November 29. Bateman is expected to insist on reinstatement of these privileges at his position meeting on August 8 to coordinate his own defense.
Bateman has announced his intention to represent himself in the lawsuit after firing a former attorney at Chandler-based Freedom Law Firm in May. On July 21, Mr. Bateman filed on his own behalf in federal district court seeking immediate reinstatement of communication privileges for the purpose of speaking with legal assistants and standby attorneys in preparation for the trial in March.
The request follows Bateman’s habeas corpus motion filed in June, in which he claimed release and/or restoration of telephone and video calling privileges at the prison facility. Mr Bateman said in his court filings that his own constitutional rights had been violated and that such restrictions would be punitive in the absence of a criminal trial justifying such punitive measures. said.
But federal prosecutors say courts should be cautious before allowing such communications. Prosecutors allege that Bateman has used those privileges in the past to direct others to falsify evidence in a case or to deliver messages to alleged victims during an investigation. there is Prosecutors also said Bateman directed his family to contact and harass federal and state officials.
Bateman’s influence extends beyond prison
Colorado City, on the border of Mojave County and Utah, is 400 miles north of Kingman. Surrounded by high desert mountains and separated from much of Arizona by its proximity to the Grand Canyon, this small but growing community has been home to the fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than a century. It continues to exist.
Also known as the FLDS, the church is one of the only religious groups in the United States that still follows the practice of plural marriage. But more than 20 years before him, the practice, under the leadership of Warren Jeffs, led to widespread national publicity of alleged sexual abuse by its members.
Federal investigators say Bateman may have considered himself a potential “successor” to Jeffs. Bateman reportedly identified himself as a Bible prophet since early 2019 and has amassed a following of 50 FLDS members in multiple states, including Utah, Colorado and Nebraska. Bateman was the husband of 20 wives as of last year, at least nine of whom may have had children at the time of their marriage.
In May, eight of Bateman’s adult wives and at least one of Bateman’s male followers were also charged with collusion, transporting minors for criminal sexual activity, producing or receiving child pornography, and state crimes. He was indicted for offenses such as intermittent travel. Illegal sex with minors or kidnapping. Another of Bateman’s wives was indicted in April on charges of interstate communications with threats and cyberstalking, which federal prosecutors say may have been made at the behest of Bateman. ing.
Prosecutors allege Bateman’s influence over his wife and supporters extends even inside prison. Bateman also has the right to speak to an attorney in the matter, but on several occasions during his detention he used his telephone and teleconferencing privileges to try to obstruct justice.
On August 28, Arizona police allegedly saw a child’s hand reaching out from a box trailer being towed by Bateman in the Flagstaff neighborhood on Interstate 40. Officers stopped Bateman and found at least three girls in the trailer unsecured, he said.
Bateman was arrested on the spot on a child abuse charge and temporarily held in Coconino County Jail. Call records from the facility show Bateman used a prison phone while in custody to convict his wife and followers from his social media “Signal” account after his cell phone was taken as evidence in the case. I was instructed to delete messages that could be.
Bateman was released from custody at Coconino County Jail on Sept. 2, but prosecutors said he remains under federal investigation for alleged sexual relationships with children under the age of 18. rice field. Ultimately, he was indicted in federal district court on federal charges. It also includes destruction of evidence and falsification of official procedures in federal investigations.
On September 13, FBI agents issued search warrants for Bateman’s two Colorado homes. During the execution of that warrant, co-defendant Naomi Bistoline (identified as one of Bateman’s adult wives) allegedly tried to hide a backpack full of condoms, digital devices and other items from FBI agents. It is Bateman was taken into federal custody the same day and transferred to the Central Arizona Correctional Facility in Florence to await trial.
The nine children, believed to be Bateman’s underage brides, were taken into custody by the Arizona Department of Child Services and then transferred to a group home.
On November 26, recordings of a prison conversation reportedly show that Bateman instructed at least one of his wives, along with a scripture, to contact federal witnesses in the case. Prosecutors believe the communication was intended as a vague threat to federal employees.
On November 27, federal prosecutors announced that Bateman had conspired with several adult wives, including Vistline, to kidnap each of the children from DCS custody using the prison’s communications system. Video call recordings show Vistline working with fellow wives Moretta Johnson and Donae Barlow to kidnap eight of the nine children from a group home on November 29. It has been shown to be successful.
Bateman’s prison facility video and phone privileges were revoked on November 29. Vistline, Barlow and Johnson were found three days later in custody along with their eight missing children.
Prosecutor: Phone calls show continued efforts to sabotage investigation
Prosecutors said even after Ms Bateman’s telephone privileges were revoked, she tried to circumvent the restrictions by calling another inmate the next day from the facility using her telephone privileges. And through March, prosecutors said Bateman remained in contact with his wife and alleged co-conspirators.
On March 17, Bateman’s communication privileges were partially restored, allowing him to communicate by letter with anyone other than the victims and co-defendants in the case. This was a provision that clearly identified the recipient of the mail and required that the message not be passed on to others through the letter. Bateman was also allowed to call and video call her sons at least three times a week.
Days later, prosecutors allegedly learned that Bateman was trying to use his sons to get a message to his wives. Federal officials said one of Bateman’s sons used a tape recorder to record messages from Bateman to his wives.
Court records show that at least one of these purported calls directed Bateman to instruct one of his sons to contact the victim in the case and not to testify in future court proceedings. It is shown that
Bateman’s telephony privileges were again restricted on March 24.
Throughout March, co-defendant and colleague’s wife, Josephine Bistoline, sent a series of threatening emails to the U.S. Attorney General’s office, calling prosecutors a biblical curse if the charges against Bateman were not dismissed. It is believed to have been sent to the federal prosecutor’s office.
Josephine Bistoline was eventually indicted on interstate communications charges involving cyberstalking and intimidation. When she arrived at the Central Arizona Correctional Facility to visit her inmates on March 29, FBI agents attempted to detain her. Federal prosecutors said Ms. Vistline had attempted to smuggle photos into the facility upon her arrival.
On June 1, Bateman is believed to have further attempted to circumvent electronic communications restrictions, naming three persons as legal assistants for his case and requesting telephone access to them. Further investigation revealed that the three parties Bateman listed were not attorneys.
Restrictions justified, prosecutors say
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tammy Holm opposed the restoration of Bateman’s telecommunications privileges in a July 17 petition to the court.
“Restrictions on communication access for pretrial detainees are constitutional if they are reasonably related to legitimate government interests,” Holm said. “A facility cannot impose such restrictions with explicit punitive intent, but may do so for legitimate corrective reasons. For example, the defendant violated a no-contact order, or a witness to prevent them from being tampered with or committing other crimes.”
Holm said federal authorities will continue to monitor Bateman’s communications at the Central Arizona Correctional Facility. Holm said communications with legal assistants were not privileged if Bateman and his legal assistants were not licensed lawyers.
“Bateman, Vistline and other defendants who have chosen to be represented are expressly informed that the Government intends to continue to monitor their communications … the restrictions they have justified by their prior conduct. If you determine that you are unable to meaningfully represent yourself within the limits of the statute, and if necessary to prevent further offenses, you should consult a state-appointed attorney or seek the assistance of a resident attorney.”
As of this week, Bateman’s trial is scheduled for March 5 in federal district court in Phoenix.
