Samuel Bateman, the leader of a polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints sect, has been convicted on child abuse charges stemming from a 2022 incident in which girls were found in a trailer he was hauling through Arizona.

Bateman — who has already been sentenced to 50 years in prison on federal charges — was convicted Friday, June 26, in Coconino County, Ariz., on three counts of child abuse after legally representing himself in court, according to the ᴀssociated Press and AZFamily.

The charges stem from an August 2022 incident, when police pulled over Bateman in Flagstaff and found three girls, ages 11 to 14, in the back of his trailer, the outlets reported.

Investigators said that the trailer was enclosed with a makeshift toilet and seating, and authorities were first notified by pᴀssersby who saw fingers reaching through gaps in the trailer’s doors.

During the first day of his trial, Bateman, who is representing himself, per court records, claimed he is a “kind and loving father” who doesn’t “even spank my children,” according to a video posted by Hidden True Crime.

He testified in his own defense in the state case, AP reported, telling jurors he knew the girls were sitting in a H๏τ trailer for hours but downplayed the conditions.

“I just trusted myself as a driver,” he said. “I asked God to bless me every time we hopped in that vehicle.”