SALT LAKE CITY (AP):

Prosecutors have widened their case in opposition to members of a small polygamous group that resides close to the Utah-Arizona border, detailing its chief’s sexual encounters with kids he took as wives in new expenses filed earlier this month.

A grand jury accuses Sam Bateman of recording the kid intercourse abuse in a superseding indictment filed lately and provides new counts to expenses filed final yr for kidnapping and impeding an investigation. The May 18 doc gives new particulars about how Bateman – with the assistance of followers – took wives as younger as 9 years previous and created a sprawling community spanning not less than 4 states as he tried to begin an offshoot group of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

A name to one in all Bateman’s attorneys in search of remark in regards to the case wasn’t instantly returned Thursday.

The FLDS is itself a breakaway sect of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints traditionally primarily based within the border cities of Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah. The sect is thought as a result of its chief, Warren Jeffs, is serving a life sentence in federal jail in Texas. Polygamy is a legacy of the early teachings of the mainstream church, extensively generally known as Mormon, however it deserted the follow in 1890 and now strictly prohibits it.

The indictment provides to a raft of expenses filed in opposition to Bateman final yr in state and federal courts. In December, federal prosecutors charged Bateman and a number of other of his wives with kidnapping minors and impeding a foreseeable prosecution for serving to younger women related to the group flee Arizona foster care. An FBI affidavit revealed in December as a part of the case claimed Bateman took greater than 20 wives, together with 10 women underneath the age of 18. Though it detailed him participating minors in sexual exercise, the newest indictment expands on the allegations and is the primary to cost him for such acts.

It says Bateman travelled extensively between Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Nebraska and allegedly had intercourse with the minor women regularly. It additionally expenses Bateman with recording a number of the sexual exercise, alleging some photographs could have been transmitted throughout state strains by way of digital units.

Relying on journals, day planners and textual content messages, it says Bateman initiated sexual encounters with teams of followers in resort rooms, together with one which started with a spiritual rite-inspired “washing of the feet”. He traded wives forwards and backwards with male followers.

The indictment additionally alleges Bateman “encouraged the minors to participate in the sexual activity and trained them to do so,” together with with women so younger that he as soon as turned upset when one moist the mattress. He advised women 10 and youthful, “You belong to me,” and one who the indictment describes as 9 or 10 years previous described the sexual encounters as “definitely terrifying”.

The indictment additionally claims a number of followers – women and men – denied the allegations of abuse, together with of their very own kids, when interviewed by the Arizona Department of Child Safety.

Bateman was arrested final yr and stays in federal custody pending his trial, which is scheduled for March 5, 2024. He beforehand has pleaded not responsible to state and federal expenses accusing him of kidnapping, little one abuse and tampering with proof.