PHOENIX (CN) — Five followers of the polygamist church leader Samuel Rappylee Bateman, who stands accused of sexually abusing 10 underage girls over three years, pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning to various crimes associated with Bateman's activities.
Federal prosecutors released a third superseding indictment against Bateman in January, bringing the total number of counts from 56 to 59, and counts against Bateman from 50 to 52. Counts against the self-proclaimed prophet and leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints include 18 counts of using interstate commerce to entice minors to engage in sexual activity; 12 counts of transporting minors to engage in sexual activity; transfer of obscene materials to minors; destruction of evidence; and kidnapping.
After taking over the religious sect’s previous leader Warren Jeffs, who is now serving life in prison, Bateman amassed over 20 illegitimate wives, 10 of whom were minors when they married. Bateman forced all of his wives to have sex with both him and his male followers, regularly participating in orgies he called "atonement ceremonies," according to an FBI investigation.
Bateman was arrested in 2022, and nine of his minor wives were taken to the Arizona Department of Child Safety. But Bateman’s adult wives abducted the girls from state custody after deleting messages between themselves and Bateman at Bateman’s request.
Brenda and Donnae Barlow, both wives of Bateman, each pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and other charges on Wednesday.
Brenda Barlow pleaded not guilty to 11 counts in total, including one count of kidnapping, two counts of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, two counts of transporting a minor to engage in sexual conduct and two counts of destruction of evidence. The third superseding indictment added an additional count from May’s second superseding indictment for each of the conspiracy, transporting a minor and destruction of evidence charges.
Donnae Barlow, also accused of aiding in the kidnapping, pled not guilty to that charge as well as conspiracy to commit kidnapping and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. One charge of obstruction of an official proceeding was dropped from the previous indictment.
Josephine Bistline, another wife of Bateman, pleaded not guilty to 14 counts Wednesday, including four counts of using interstate commerce to entice a minor into sexual conduct, four counts of transporting minors for sexual activity, coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Prosecutors dropped one count of enticing a minor and added two counts of transporting a minor in the new indictment.
LaDell Bistline, a follower of Bateman that regularly participated in sexual conduct with Bateman’s wives, according to the investigation, pleaded not guilty to eight counts, including two counts of transporting minors for sexual activity, one count of transferring obscene materials to minors and one count of receiving child pornography. Prosecutors added two transporting minors charges in the new indictment, lowering the number of charges for using interstate commerce to entice a minor into sexual activity from four to two.
Bateman’s first wife, Marona Johnson, pleaded not guilty to one count of transfer of obscene materials to minors — but, as federal prosecutor Dimitra Sampson reminded the judge, the plea was simply procedural. The charge will be dropped as part of a preexisting plea deal. (Johnson pleaded guilty in January to one count of tampering with an official investigation.)
Prosecutors during the Jan. 18 hearing described how Johnson forced her 10-year-old daughter to strip naked while watching Bateman have sex with his other wives, and distributed pornography to the child brides. Her attorney, Jocques Blackwell, painted her not as an accomplice, but as a victim of Bateman.
“Her parents allowed Bateman to marry my client at such a young age,” Blackwell said in an August hearing. “They also allowed Bateman to marry her siblings, at a very illegal young age. It’s an abomination.”
Morretta Johnson, who was given to Bateman at age 17 and is charged with obstruction of an official proceeding and kidnapping, pleaded not guilty to five counts in January.
Leia Bistline pleaded guilty in January to using interstate commerce to entice a minor into sexual conduct. She and Marona Johnson are the only defendants who have pleaded guilty so far.
Bateman, wives Naomi Bistline and Leilani Barlow and follower Torrance Bistline haven’t yet been arraigned on the third superseding indictment.
The trial is scheduled for September 10.
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