Arizona brothers found guilty in child sexual abuse case involving offshoot polygamous sect

PHOENIX — Two Arizona men were found guilty on Wednesday of charges related to a child sexual abuse conspiracy involving a religious sect near the Arizona-Utah border, authorities said.

One of the men was 45-year-old LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr.

He gave his 9- and 11-year-old daughters as child brides to the leader of the religious sect, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

The other man found guilty on Wednesday was 36-year-old Torrance Bistline, who financially supported the sect and sexually abused one of the leader’s child brides, prosecutors said.

The two brothers were followers of Samuel Rappylee Bateman, a self-proclaimed prophet who led a religious group based in Colorado City, Arizona.

Details about religious child sexual abuse conspiracy

Bateman, who saw himself as a prophet, pleaded guilty in April to conspiring to transport underage girls across state lines for child sexual abuse, according to The Associated Press.

His polygamous and pedophilic group extended from Arizona to Utah, Colorado and Nebraska.

The religious sect Bateman led was an offshoot of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, according to the Associated Press.

Bateman had over 20 wives, including 10 girls who were younger than 18.

He gave wives as gifts to male followers and raped underage girls on a regular basis, according to The Associated Press.

Some of these sexual crimes were allegedly filmed and sent across state lines.

Nine other followers aside from the Bistline brothers pleaded guilty to charges related to the child sexual abuse conspiracy, prosecutors said.

What charges do Arizona men from Colorado City face?

Both Bistline brothers are from Colorado City, which is where the religious sect was based. The city is roughly 92 miles northwest of Grand Canyon National Park and around 21 miles northwest of the Kainab Indian Reservation.

LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. was found guilty of these charges:

• One count of receipt of child pornography.
• One count of transferring obscene material to a minor.
• Two counts of transporting a minor for criminal sexual activity.
• Two counts of persuading or coercing someone to travel for sexual activities.
• Two counts of using interstate commerce to coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity.

Torrance Bistline was found guilty of the following charges:

• One count of using interstate commerce to coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity.
• Two counts of destroying records in an official proceeding.
• One count of conspiring to destroy records that are part of an official proceeding.
• One count of tampering with an official proceeding.
• One count of conspiring to tamper with an official proceeding.

U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino said the Bistline brothers caused devastating and unfathomable trauma and harm.

“Today’s verdict is a step towards justice for the victims of LaDell and Torrance Bistline,” Restaino said in a Wednesday news release. “Today’s guilty verdicts hold them to account for their despicable acts, for their breach of trust and for their complete indifference to the mental and psychological scars their victims will live with for the rest of their lives.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.