The Man Who Called Himself a Prophet and Preyed on Children — Netflix’s “Trust Me: The False Prophet”

If Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey left you shaken but unable to look away, Netflix is about to pull you back into the same terrifying world. "Trust Me: The False…

By Reetam Bodhak

March 19, 2026

3 min read

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If Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey left you shaken but unable to look away, Netflix is about to pull you back into the same terrifying world. “Trust Me: The False Prophet” arrives April 8, 2026 — and it’s the kind of true crime documentary that doesn’t just inform, it genuinely unsettles you to your core.

Trust Me: The False Prophet — Key Details

Detail	Info
Series Title	Trust Me: The False Prophet
Platform	Netflix
Release Date	April 8, 2026
Episodes	4
Episode Runtime	~45 minutes each
Director	Rachel Dretzin (Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey)
Subject	Samuel Bateman, self-proclaimed FLDS prophet
Sentence	50 years in federal prison (December 2024)
Key Figures	Christine Marie (cult expert), Tolga Katas (videographer)

What Is This Documentary About?

When Warren Jeffs — leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) — was imprisoned, a dangerous power vacuum emerged. Into that void stepped Samuel Bateman, a former FLDS member who declared himself a prophet in 2019 and began building his own offshoot group in the Short Creek, Utah community.

Bateman reportedly took more than 20 “spiritual wives,” including underage girls, subjecting them to abuse and illicit conduct. His horrifying operation was finally exposed in August 2022 when authorities spotted small fingers reaching through the gap of an enclosed, unventilated trailer he was hauling through Flagstaff, Arizona — with three young girls discovered inside. In December 2024, he was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison, effectively a life sentence.

The four-part docuseries tells this story through the eyes of cult expert Christine Marie and her husband and videographer Tolga Katas, who moved into the Short Creek community to support vulnerable FLDS members — and ended up secretly filming Bateman to document his crimes. The stakes could not have been higher: as Christine states in the trailer, had Bateman discovered what she was doing, he would have taken her children and fled.

Directed by Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Rachel Dretzin — the same force behind Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey — this docuseries promises unprecedented access, never-before-seen footage, and first-hand survivor accounts from inside one of America’s most secretive communities.

For all upcoming Netflix true crime documentary releases and OTT watch guides, visit TechnoSports’ Streaming Hub. Also check out TechnoSports for the full Netflix April 2026 release calendar.

FAQs

Q: When does “Trust Me: The False Prophet” release on Netflix?

The four-part docuseries drops globally on Netflix on April 8, 2026, directed by Rachel Dretzin, the Emmy-winning filmmaker behind Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey.

Q: Who is Samuel Bateman and why was he arrested?

Bateman was a self-proclaimed FLDS prophet who abused underage girls — he was caught in 2022 when authorities found three girls trapped in a trailer he was hauling, and was later sentenced to 50 years in federal prison.