Wife of polygamist 'Mormon prophet' arrives at court shackled to face federal ... trends now One of a so-called 'Mormon prophet's' many wives was pictured with her wrists and ankles shackled, wearing a blue jumpsuit covering her long dress, as she arrived at a federal court in Arizona Wednesday to face federal kidnapping charges. Donnae Barlow is accused — along with two of her sister-wives — of helping eight young girls escape protective custody last month under the apparent orders of their husband, Samuel Rappylee Bateman, 46. She, Moretta Rose Johnson and Naomi Bistline are said to have transported the girls across state lines after the girls were found earlier this month hiding out at an Airbnb in Spokane, Washington, with Johnson. The girls — at least one of whom is as young as nine — had been taken into protective custody by the Arizona Department of Child Services back in September, when a whistleblower revealed how Bateman married up to 20 women and underage girls, including his own daughter. Bateman leads a splinter group of the radical Mormon offshoot Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or FLDS. He has been in federal custody ever since, as authorities allege he sex trafficked these 'young girls' between Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Nebraska. Donnae Barlow, one of Samuel Rappylee Bateman's many wives, was pictured with her wrists and ankles shackled as she wore a blue jumpsuit over her long dress to face federal kidnapping charges on Wednesday Federal authorities say Bateman, 46, sex trafficked 'young girls' between Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Nebraska as he married up to 20 women and underage girls According to court documents obtained by KXLY, eight of the nine girls who had been rescued from Bateman's Colorado City home by the Arizona Department of Child Services in September ran away from their group homes on November 27. Soon after, federal investigators discovered they were still in a group chat with some of the adult wives, and a criminal complaint says they left behind journals 'indicating 'Today is the day we go home.' Federal officials now allege that Bateman made a call from jail to two of his adult wives who were driving together. In the recorded phone conversation, the women could be heard saying they have two of the girls, according to the criminal complaint. The next morning, it says, he called the women again and discovered all eight of the runaway wives were in a hotel room with the women. And in a series of phone calls recorded by federal agents, Bateman could also be heard talking to the wives, who say they are on the move and traveling in separate groups so as not to get caught. Eventually, though, court documents say, the FBI was able to track down a business card for VelociWrapper, a business run by one of Bateman's followers, and requested an emergency disclosure from Airbnb to find any addresses reserved by that follower or under any of his business accounts. They found one such property listed in Spokane, Washington, and asked the Spokane County Sheriff's Department to knock on the door. No one answered when they arrived at the house on December 1, court documents say, but a sergeant spotted a vehicle leaving the scene. Inside, they found Johnson and all of the eight missing girls. Barlow and Bistline were later also arrested for their roles in helping the girls escape. It remains unclear what happened at Barlow's initial court appearance on Wednesday, but if she is convicted she could face up to 20 years behind bars. Three girls in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are seen embracing before they were removed from Bateman's home in September The underage girls were said to have kept in contact with their older sister-wives who colluded with Bateman to help them escape They were found in an Airbnb in Spokane, Washington rented out to the owner of VelociWrapper, a follower of Bateman's Bateman has become a powerful leader of the FLDS, after becoming its prophet when Warren Jeffs went to prison for sexually abusing minors. While in power, an affidavit says, Bateman gained 'approximately 50 followers and more than 20 wives, many of whom are minors, mostly under the age of 15.' Evidence cited in the court documents include recordings of Bateman himself, speaking to a couple in Colorado City, Arizona, who do outreach to the polygamy community there and are filming a documentary. In one example cited in the document, Bateman told the couple that the 'Heavenly Father' had instructed him in early November 2021 to 'give the most precious thing he has, his girls' virtue,' to three of his adult male followers. Bateman then allegedly watched as the three men had sex with his daughters, one of whom was just 12, according to the affidavit. He also allegedly commented that the girls had 'sacrificed their virtue for the Lord,' and went on to say: 'God will fix their bodies and put the membrane back in their body. I've never had more confidence in doing his will. It's all out of love.' The affidavit further alleges that in late 2020, Bateman drove to the Colorado City couple's home 'in a large SUV packed with women and girls,' where he 'introduced everyone as his wives.' The youngest of the so-called 'wives' was a girl born in 2011, Special Agent Martin wrote, meaning the girl would have been nine at the oldest. The affidavit also notes that Bateman owned two Bentleys, though it seems his 'wives' traveled in less style. Two women and two girls were in the SUV with another three girls were found in the trailer Bateman was driving in September, court records said An evidence photo shows the trailer Bateman allegedly used to transport underage girls His initial encounter with the law came in August, when he was pulled over by a state trooper in northern Arizona towing a box trailer 'full of people including children,' according to AZFamily.com. The trooper saw 'children's small fingers moving in the gap of the rear trailer door' as he pulled up behind the trailer, according to a police statement. Police said there were three girls in the trailer, all between the ages of 11 and 14 years old, along with a couch, camper chairs, and a toilet made from a bucket. With Bateman in the SUV towing the trailer were two women and two girls under the age of 15. The Mormon prophet was then arrested and charged locally with three counts of child abuse. While he was being held in the Coconino County Jail in Flagstaff, authorities say, he talked to his supporters in Colorado City and instructed them to delete communications sent through the encrypted messaging app Signal, and demanded all women and girls obtain passports. Bateman was able to post bond on the state charges, but weeks later he was hit with a federal indictment charging him with three counts of destroying or attempting to destroy records and tampering with criminal proceedings. He pleaded not guilty in U.S. Magistrate Court in Flagstaff. Federal prosecutor Patrick Schneider said in September that the state child welfare agency had removed children from Bateman's home in Colorado City, where the FBI served a search warrant. FBI agents are pictured raiding the home of Samuel Rappylee Bateman in Colorado City, Arizona on September 1 Bateman has not been charged with sex crimes against children, but an FBI affidavit said the agency has probable cause to believe he and others transported minors between Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Nebraska to engage in illicit sexual conduct between May 2020 and November 2021. They point to the girls' journals, which they left behind at their safe houses, and describe 'sleeping with Bateman, kissing him and touching him.' Authorities now believe that the young girls were coached by some of the older wives not to speak with investigators. U.S. Magistrate Judge Camille Bibles has since ordered that Bateman remain behind bars while the case winds through the courts. She noted Bateman is a pilot and survivalist who has followers and international contacts who might help with financial or other resources on a moment's notice. She said she also was concerned about young girls in vulnerable positions. 'Courts have a tremendous interest in protecting people who can´t protect themselves,' she said. Bateman is apparently so extreme that he has been denounced even by former FLDS leader Warren Jeffs (above), a convicted child rapist Warren Jeffs, left with one of his victims, remains in prison on his own child abuse charges Bateman was once among the trusted followers of imprisoned FLDS leader Warren Jeffs, but the convicted child rapist recently denounced Samuel Rappylee Bateman in a letter to his followers within the church. He said Bateman was too 'extreme' for the church. The letter is unlikely to have any effect, however, as Jeffs lost much of his authority over the FLDS while he is serving a life sentence in a Texas prison for child sex abuse related to underage marriages. Bateman's group, meanwhile, still practices plural marriage with a small following of fewer than 100 people, estimated Brower, who wrote a book on the FLDS and appeared in the recent Netflix series, 'Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey.' Still, Bateman's attorney, Adam Zickerman, in September cautioned against inferring the federal case was about religious persecution, though he would not deny that Bateman is a polygamist. He did, however, claim that Bateman is not a danger to the community. Both the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona and Zickerman declined to comment following a September court hearing, as did two women who were sitting in the gallery and met with Zickerman. All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility