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Polygamous Sect Leader Pleads Guilty To Child Sex Crimes

This undated photo provided by the Coconino County, Ariz., Sheriff's Office shows Samuel Bateman, the leader of a small polygamous group near the Arizona-Utah border. On Monday, April 1, 2024,

Samuel Bateman, the leader of a polygamous sect near the Arizona-Utah border, has pleaded guilty to charges related to transporting underage girls across state lines for sexual acts. The guilty plea was entered in U.S. District Court in Phoenix, where Bateman also admitted to conspiring to commit kidnapping to free underage girls from Arizona state custody.

Bateman, 48, confessed to taking underage brides, engaging in sexual activity with them, and arranging group sex, including child brides. His plea agreement recommends a sentence of 20 to 50 years in prison, with one conviction carrying a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

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