A businessman pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring with the leader of an offshoot polygamous sect near the Arizona-Utah border to transport underage girls across state lines, making him the first man to be convicted in what authorities say was a scheme to orchestrate sexual acts involving children.
Moroni Johnson, who faces 10 years to life in prison, acknowledged that he participated in a scheme to transport four girls under the age of 18 for sexual activity. Authorities say the conspiracy between the 53-year-old Johnson and the sect’s leader, self-proclaimed prophet Samuel Bateman, occurred over a three-year period ending in September 2022.
Authorities say Bateman had created a sprawling network spanning at least four states as he tried to start an offshoot of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which historically has been based in the neighboring communities of Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah. He and his followers practice polygamy, a legacy of the early teachings of the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which abandoned the practice in 1890 and now strictly prohibits it. Bateman and his followers believe polygamy brings exaltation in heaven.
I’m pretty sure this is the same group which was the subject of “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey”, a doco from the point of view of some women who escaped. It’s on Netflix. I recognize the mountains in the background.
It is the same group, Warren Jeffs is technically still that group’s leader from prison, but Samuel Bateman started telling followers that Jeffs died in prison to convince them he is their new prophet and they need to give up their minor daughters to him as wives.
https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2023/05/25/53-felonies-polygamist-leader/
