Netflix’s true crime series follows the actions of a cult’s new self-proclaimed “prophet”
Trust Me: The False Prophet arrived on Netflix today, Wednesday, April 8, a four-part series made possible by cult researcher Christine Marie and her husband and videographer Tolga Katas. The pair relocated to the Utah-Arizona border community, also known as Short Creek.
This was following the 2011 life imprisonment of Warren Jeffs, the former FLDS (Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) leader, who remains behind bars for child sex abuse. What they soon uncovered was that Samuel Bateman had emerged as the leader of a breakaway faction of the FLDS, declaring himself the new radical “prophet” in 2019.
Christine and Tolga managed to earn Bateman’s trust and began capturing his deeply troubling behaviour on camera, documenting abuse involving underage “spiritual wives”. After watching the documentary, viewers want to know where Bateman is now.
Where is Samuel Bateman now?
Samuel Rappylee Bateman was handed a 50-year prison sentence in 2024 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to transport a minor for sex and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
Federal investigators revealed that Bateman had more than 20 “spiritual wives”, including minors, some of them as young as nine-years-old.
In an FBI affidavit obtained by People, he coerced girls into sexual activities with him as well as other men. The BBC reported that the FBI disclosed how Bateman claimed it was “God’s will” for him to engage in sexual acts with his “wives”.
Authorities had previously removed nine children from his home into protective custody, but eight of them subsequently vanished from foster care.
They were later discovered hundreds of miles away in Washington state in a vehicle driven by one of his adult “wives”, with Bateman admitting his involvement in the abduction.
During sentencing, US District Judge Susan Brnovich told him: “The amount of harm you caused is nothing short of unmeasurable.”
Having gathered evidence of Bateman’s abuse, Christine handed her footage over to law enforcement, which ultimately led to his imprisonment.”
Despite achieving justice, Christine did voice some misgivings about infiltrating the group in the Netflix trailer, sharing: “I was so trusted.
“I wanted to help them before they found out I was a mole. I’m not betraying them – I’m helping them, right?”
Trust Me: The False Prophet is available to watch on Netflix.
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