Polygamous leader accused of taking over 20 wives, including underage girls, pleads not guilty as FBI investigates his community
CBSN
A polygamous leader accused of taking more than 20 wives, including underage girls, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to kidnapping and tampering with evidence charges stemming from a federal investigation into his community on the Utah-Arizona border.
Sam Bateman's case is the most recent example of law enforcement taking action against abuse in the sister cities of Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, longtime strongholds of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, known by its acronym FLDS. They are a polygamous offshoot of the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which no longer practices polygamy.
Bateman entered his not-guilty plea during a hearing in a federal courtroom in Phoenix, court documents show. A trial has been set for Jan. 10, but his attorneys have requested more time to prepare.
