A gripping new Netflix documentary series has shed light on the disturbing rise and fall of Samuel Bateman, a self-proclaimed prophet who took over a breakaway sect of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). Trust Me: The False Prophet, which premiered on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, explores how a courageous couple embedded themselves into the cult to bring its leader to justice.
Infiltrating the Cult
The four-part series was made possible by cult researcher Christine Marie and her husband, videographer Tolga Katas. After the imprisonment of Warren Jeffs, the former FLDS leader sentenced to life in 2011 for child sex abuse, the couple moved to the Utah-Arizona border community known as Short Creek. There, they discovered that Samuel Bateman had assumed leadership, declaring himself the new radical prophet in 2019.
Christine and Tolga managed to gain Bateman's trust, allowing them to film his alarming behavior. They documented instances of abuse involving underage spiritual wives, providing crucial evidence that would later aid law enforcement.
Samuel Bateman's Crimes and Sentencing
Samuel Rappylee Bateman is currently serving a 50-year prison sentence, imposed in 2024 after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport a minor for sex and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Federal investigators revealed that Bateman had over 20 spiritual wives, including minors as young as nine years old.
According to an FBI affidavit obtained by People, Bateman coerced girls into sexual activities with him and other men. The BBC reported that he claimed it was God's will for him to engage in these acts with his wives.
Kidnapping and Aftermath
Authorities had previously taken nine children from Bateman's home into protective custody, but eight of them later disappeared from foster care. They were found hundreds of miles away in Washington state, in a vehicle driven by one of his adult wives. Bateman admitted his involvement in the kidnapping.
During his sentencing, US District Judge Susan Brnovich told him, The amount of harm you caused is nothing short of unmeasurable.
Ethical Dilemmas and Justice
After gathering evidence of Bateman's abuse, Christine handed over her footage to law enforcement, which played a key role in securing his imprisonment. However, in the Netflix trailer, she expressed reservations about infiltrating the group, stating, 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 now available to stream on Netflix, offering a chilling look into the world of cult leadership and the pursuit of justice.
