In a recent turn of events, Samuel Bateman, the leader of a polygamist sect, is poised to accept a plea deal on charges including sex trafficking of minors and child pornography. As reported by 12 News, the plea agreement comes less than two years after Bateman's apprehension near Flagstaff.

Arrested in 2022, law enforcement discovered young girls inside his trailer, some reportedly with wedding rings. Bateman styles himself as a prophet of the FLDS church, a group that splintered from the mainstream LDS church. The federal indictment against Bateman claimed he took upwards of 20 wives, with the youngest being just 9 years old. His co-conspirators are also staring down the barrel of the justice system, with plea offer deadlines extended until April 12, according to court documents obtained by 12 News.

Compelling body camera footage recently obtained by 12 News shows Bateman at the time of his arrest in Flagstaff. Officers found him transporting three underage girls in an enclosed trailer, their small fingers allegedly seen protruding from the rear door. Eyewitnesses had called 911 upon noticing the suspicious scene.

During the tense exchange caught on tape, one officer remarked on the rings worn by the girls, stating, "The 14-year-old she had a ring on her finger, on her ring finger… They’ve all kind of, like, hidden those. I mean, we know what’s going on here." Bateman, who was driving the truck, engaged with law enforcement only minimally, at one point advising an officer to calm down before briefly resisting detainment. Charged with three counts of child abuse, he currently awaits his fate in a Florence, Arizona jail.