Child Brides Reveal Pressure from FLDS Followers to Marry Abusers

In a federal child sex abuse trial involving a polygamist sect, two witnesses testified that LaDell Bistline Jr. coerced them into marrying a man who abused them for years. The defendant faces charges of transporting minors for sexual purposes and enticing a minor through interstate commerce. These allegations tie Bistline Jr. to a child sex abuse ring led by Samuel Rappylee Bateman, a self-appointed figure within the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Bistline Jr., a member of a small Mormon offshoot community in Colorado City, Arizona, was placed in a caretaker role by former leader Warren Jeffs, now serving a life sentence. On the trial’s eighth day, two former child brides relayed their experiences, stating that Bistline Jr. pressured them into marriages with Bateman in 2020, despite knowledge of the impending sexual abuse. “He kept telling us if we didn’t, we would go against God,” said J.B., now 17.

Witnesses indicated that girls in the Fundamentalist community are raised to obey male authority, fostering an environment of fear and control. J.B. expressed reluctance toward the marriage, fearing God’s punishment as well as repercussions from Bistline Jr. She further revealed that Bateman began sexually abusing her at 14, often in the presence of other young brides and adult wives.

Her counterpart, V.B., who was also given to Bateman at 14, recounted her initial terror during a forced group sexual encounter. She described her first impression of Bateman, stating, “He was very short and stubby,” contrary to the power he wielded over them.

From 2019 to his arrest in 2022, Bateman allegedly manipulated his followers into believing their abusive experiences were divinely sanctioned. Law enforcement officials from the Arizona Department of Public Safety recounted Bateman’s arrest, which occurred after a caller reported seeing fingers protruding from a trailer he was hauling. Body camera footage revealed young girls emerging from a chaotic trailer, presumably hiding from authorities among various obstacles.

During the arrest, Bateman was heard responding vaguely when asked about the girls, and he declined to reveal his identity. After posting bail, he was later arrested when FBI agents executed search warrants at his residences in Colorado City. Prosecutors presented recordings of Bateman instructing another individual, Torrance Bistline, to delete messages from an encrypted app used for clandestine communication.

Torrance Bistline faces charges regarding evidence tampering and enticing a minor, similar to those levied against LaDell. Past testimonies have implicated Bistline Jr. in being present during explicit acts involving minors. Bateman has since admitted to his actions and pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy, including the transportation of young girls across state lines.