Samuel Bateman Jailed; Many Wives Remain Unfree
Samuel Bateman is serving a 50-year prison sentence. Many of his followers still consider him their prophet.
A four-part documentary, Trust Me: The False Prophet, charts his rise. Coverage has used phrases like Samuel Bateman Jailed and Many Wives Remain Unfree to summarize the fallout.
Context within the FLDS
Bateman gained influence inside the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The FLDS is a breakaway Mormon sect known for polygamy.
Almost a decade after Warren Jeffs was convicted in 2011, Bateman proclaimed prophetic authority. He claimed Jeffs spoke through him and then took multiple wives, including minors as young as nine.
Filmmakers on the ground
Rachel Dretzin directed the series. She is an Emmy and Peabody award winner and also directed Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey.
Cult psychologist Christine Marie and videographer Tolga Katas moved to Short Creek, Utah, in 2016. They filmed the fractured FLDS community and collected evidence after Bateman welcomed their cameras.
Investigation, arrest, and testimony
The filmmakers’ material helped build a case. Bateman was arrested in 2022 and later sentenced to prison.
Several of his wives, including Naomi “Nomz” Bistline and Moretta Johnson, were arrested and served time. Only Nomz and Moretta testified against him among the adult wives.
All nine of Bateman’s underage victims were removed from the community and placed in foster care. Each of those minors later testified in court.
Control from confinement
Bateman has continued to reach followers by phone from prison. Those calls have allowed him to sustain influence over many adherents.
Observers say ongoing contact functions as persistent indoctrination. Imprisonment has, paradoxically, reinforced his standing for some followers who view him as a martyr.
Paths to freedom
Survivors and filmmakers argue that breaking contact is essential to recovery. Christine Marie believes distancing from Bateman and his inner circle helps people regain perspective.
Dretzin acknowledges the pressure inside tiny Short Creek. She hopes the documentary will encourage more residents to find the courage to leave.
Trust Me: The False Prophet is now streaming, and Filmogaz.com is tracking reactions to the series.
