La Dell Bistline, 45, was found guilty in 2024 of engaging in multiple crimes, including receiving child pornography, transferring obscene material to a minor, and transporting minors for sexual activity, as a follower of Samuel Bateman , who was sentenced to 50 years in prison for conspiracy to transport minors for sex and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Bistline and his brother, also a follower of Bateman, were arrested in May 2023.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Susan Brnovich addressed Bistline before imposing her sentence.

“I said that Samuel Bateman is a monster, but you are the one that fed the monster with the lives of women and children, and a life sentence is the only just sentence,” she said.

Bistline was described in court records as the owner of an electrical and communications company. He had been married to a woman who later became a “bride” of Bateman.

Bistline had two daughters who were 9 and 11 when he gave them to Bateman as “brides," according to court records.

Shirlee Draper, a former member of the cult and director of a victim advocacy service for families in polygamist communities, testified that while women held less power in the church, men indoctrinated from a young age were also pressured into complete obedience.

Draper said she knew Bistline when he was young. She said he told her about hearing voices and being chosen by God. She was called to testify Wednesday by Bistline's lawyer.

Prosecutors argued that Bistline knew the difference between right and wrong and consciously chose to give women and girls under his control to Bateman.

An audio clip of Bistline saying he was giving away everything he owned to Bateman was played in court before his sentencing, and a photo taken in 2022 of women and girls Bateman had taken as brides was shown, too. Prosecutors said Bistline was responsible for seven women and four girls being under Bateman’s control.

Bistline was sentenced to 240 months for receipt of child pornography and two counts of persuading or coercing travel to engage in sexual activity, 120 months for the transfer of obscene material to a minor, and life sentences for two counts of using a means of interstate commerce to persuade or coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity and two counts of transportation of a minor for criminal sexual activity.