A cult psychology expert featured in a recent Netflix documentary says helping authorities expose and convict a self-proclaimed Mormon prophet was one of the most emotionally difficult experiences of her life.
Christine Marie, who appears in Trust Me: The False Prophet, says building close relationships with the wives and children of convicted polygamist Sam Bateman left her deeply conflicted as she secretly gathered evidence against him.
Inside the investigation into Sam Bateman
Marie told RNZ’s Saturday Morning programme that she struggled with the reality that many of Bateman’s followers did not believe they were victims.
After surviving her own controlling relationship with a Mormon man in the late 1990s and later studying psychology, Marie said she recognised the patterns of manipulation operating within the sect.
“I knew they wouldn’t understand it, maybe even for years,” she said, describing the emotional impact of becoming “the one who took away their prophet and the father of their babies”.
Marie and her husband, videographer Tolga Katas, moved to Short Creek, Utah, in 2016 to better understand the culture surrounding a breakaway faction of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). The isolated community has long drawn international attention because of its history of polygamy and authoritarian religious leadership.
Leadership vacuum after Warren Jeffs
According to Marie, Bateman rose to influence after the imprisonment of former FLDS leader Warren Jeffs, whose case was previously examined in the Netflix series Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey.
She said Bateman claimed Jeffs had died and that he had become the movement’s new prophet.
“Because Warren Jeffs hadn’t been communicating in ages, he said that Warren Jeffs was no longer mortal,” Marie explained. “Now, Sam was being communicated with by Warren Jeffs in his immortal form.”
Initially, Marie and Katas presented their filmmaking project as a neutral historical documentary about the FLDS church. However, as they became more aware of the abuse taking place, their focus shifted toward collecting evidence that could assist law enforcement.
“We were filming, thinking, ‘We’re going to turn this into law enforcement’,” Marie said. “And we did.”
Abuse allegations and criminal case
Between 2019 and his arrest in 2022, Bateman reportedly recruited 23 “spiritual wives”, including 10 girls under the age of 18. One child was reportedly as young as nine years old.
Marie said Bateman tightly controlled the women and girls around him, influencing their behaviour, emotions and access to outside information.
Despite the abuse, many followers believed they were part of a spiritually elite group destined for the highest level of heaven. Marie described the environment as an “echo chamber” where Bateman’s teachings were constantly reinforced.
The case has renewed wider international discussion about coercive control, religious extremism and the psychological impact of cult environments — issues that have also been increasingly examined in New Zealand through conversations around vulnerable communities and mental wellbeing.
Christine Marie reflects on public reaction
Marie said the response to Trust Me: The False Prophet has differed sharply from the criticism she faced after previously speaking publicly about her own abusive relationship.
At the time, she said she was portrayed as “weak-minded”, with little public understanding of the psychological pressures involved in coercive religious relationships.
She described that experience as devastating and feared it could permanently damage her professional reputation.
Now aged 66, Marie says her approach has shifted from outspoken anti-polygamy activism to focusing on support and understanding.
Advice for families dealing with cult involvement
Marie continues to work as an intermediary between members of the FLDS community, former followers and government agencies in Short Creek.
Her advice to families with loved ones involved in cults or extremist groups is to maintain connection rather than confrontation.
“You could attack family members for what they believe, but then you can’t speak to them anymore,” she said. “It’s more important that your love and kindness continue than that they change their beliefs.”
The documentary has added to growing global interest in how charismatic leaders manipulate followers and how difficult it can be for victims to recognise abuse while still inside tightly controlled communities.
Alexander Donovan writes for News Collective, covering news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. He focuses on clear, reliable reporting and useful information, helping readers stay informed about current events, emerging trends, and stories that matter.