Netflix Docuseries on FLDS Prophet's Child Sex Crimes

A new Netflix documentary series, "Trust Me: The False Prophet," has premiered, shedding light on the crimes of Samuel Bateman, a self-proclaimed prophet in a breakaway faction of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or FLDS. The four-part series, which began streaming this week, details how Bateman, now 50, built a following in the insular communities along the Utah-Arizona border after the 2011 imprisonment of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs for child sexual assault.

Bateman positioned himself as Jeffs' successor, claiming divine authority to practice polygamy and amass more than 20 "spiritual wives," including at least 10 minors as young as nine, according to federal investigators. From 2019 onward, he operated across Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska, coercing underage girls into sexual activities with him and adult male followers. Prosecutors said Bateman enforced control through public confessions, punishments, and manipulation, often requiring male accomplices to surrender their daughters as "brides." He also live-streamed abuse and transported minors across state lines to facilitate the acts.

The abuses came to light through undercover work by...