The new Netflix docuseries Trust Me: The False Prophet tells the true story of how a cult expert and her husband went undercover to expose a polygamist leader who was abusing young girls. The four-part series arrives on the streaming platform on April 8, 2026, and shows never-before-seen footage recorded inside the group.
The documentary follows Christine Marie, a cult psychology expert, and her husband Tolga Katas, a videographer. They moved to Short Creek, a small town on the border of Utah and Arizona, wanting to help a community that was still recovering from the arrest of former FLDS leader Warren Jeffs. Instead, they found Samuel Bateman, a man who declared himself a prophet and started taking multiple wives, including young girls.
How Christine Marie and Tolga Katas Gathered Evidence Against Samuel Bateman
Christine Marie and Tolga Katas moved to Short Creek in 2016. They started a charity called Voices for Dignity to help women and children in the FLDS community. When Bateman appeared on the scene in 2019, claiming to be Warren Jeffs‘ successor, the couple became worried.
Bateman quickly gathered followers. He told people that Warren Jeffs had died and that he was the new messenger from God. He took more than 20 wives, and nearly half of them were minors. The youngest was just 9 years old.
Marie and Katas pretended to make a documentary about Bateman‘s group. Bateman liked the attention and let them film everything. He did not know that the couple was secretly gathering evidence of his crimes.
For more than 18 months, the couple spent time inside Bateman‘s home. They knew that Bateman could not abuse the girls while they were there. Marie later said that staying close to the group became her full-time job.
The big break came during a car ride in November 2021. Bateman started talking about giving some of his young wives to his male followers. One of the girls was only 13 years old. Marie secretly recorded the conversation on her phone. That recording became key evidence for the FBI.
The Arrest and Prison Sentence of Samuel Bateman
The FBI arrested Samuel Bateman in September 2022. Police stopped him while he was pulling a U-Haul trailer in Flagstaff, Arizona. Inside the trailer, officers found three of his child wives.
After his arrest, Bateman tried to continue controlling his followers from jail. He made phone calls and video calls every day. He even planned a kidnapping plot to get the young girls back from state foster care. In November 2022, three of his adult wives drove to different foster homes and took eight girls. Police found them days later in Spokane, Washington.
In April 2024, Bateman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit transportation of a minor for criminal sexual activity and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. On December 9, 2024, a judge sentenced him to 50 years in prison.
Several of Bateman‘s followers also received prison sentences. Moroni Johnson got 25 years. Torrance Bistline received 35 years. LaDell Bistline Jr. was sentenced to life in prison.
Where the Survivors Are Now
Some of Bateman‘s victims have spoken out in the docuseries. Naomi “Nomz” Bistline, who was one of Bateman‘s adult wives, now speaks publicly about her experience. She was arrested for her role in the kidnapping plot but says that prison helped her start thinking for herself.
“Prison was the best and worst thing that happened to me,” Nomz said. “It forced me to start thinking for myself. It forced me to start questioning everything.”
Nomz now spends her time writing, drawing, and making music. She said that music helps her process what happened. She still lives in Short Creek but wants to move away when she can afford it.
Moretta Johnson, another of Bateman‘s former wives, also went to prison. She told her mother that “prison set me free” because it helped her develop her own thoughts. She has since left the community, married, and started a family.
Julia Johnson, the mother of some of Bateman‘s child wives, secretly worked with Christine Marie to report Bateman to the FBI. She is no longer with her husband Moroni, who is serving a 25-year sentence.
“Julia is extraordinary,” said director Rachel Dretzin. “In many ways [she’s] the heroine of the film, because it takes so much for a woman at that age to turn against her husband and to risk what she risked in going for help.”
Not all of Bateman‘s followers have left him. The director said that most of the adults featured in the documentary still follow Bateman today. He continues to contact them from prison because the facility allows unlimited phone and video calls.
Christine Marie explained why leaving is so hard for these women.
“Groupthink is so powerful,” Christine said. “It’s like superglue. You can’t just wake up when you’re getting your thoughts reinforced by other people you respect and love.”
All of Bateman‘s underage victims have now separated from him. Once they were placed in different foster homes away from the group, they were able to see the truth and speak out in court.
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Trust Me: The False Prophet Release and Streaming Details
Trust Me: The False Prophet starts streaming on Netflix on April 8, 2026. The series has four episodes and is directed by Rachel Dretzin, who also made the 2022 docuseries Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey about Warren Jeffs.
The documentary uses footage that Christine Marie and Tolga Katas recorded while inside Bateman‘s group. It also includes new interviews with survivors, the filmmakers, and members of the Short Creek community.
Viewers in the USA can watch starting April 8 on Netflix. UK viewers get the same release date. In Canada and Australia, the series also arrives on April 8. India and other global regions will have access to the full series on the same day.
The series shows how the couple gained Bateman‘s trust, the moment they realized the abuse was happening, and how they worked with the FBI to stop him. It also follows the survivors as they rebuild their lives after escaping Bateman‘s control.
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