Rachel C. Hernandez Acting United States Attorney for the District of Arizona | U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona
A Colorado City man, Torrance Bistline, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for his involvement in a child sexual abuse ring. The sentence was handed down on April 28, 2025, by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich. Once released, Bistline will be under supervised release for the rest of his life.
Bistline was found guilty by a jury on October 2, 2024, of several crimes including using a means of interstate commerce to persuade or coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity, destruction of records in an official proceeding, conspiracy to commit destruction of records, tampering with an official proceeding, and conspiracy to commit tampering.
These charges arose from Bistline's role in a long-running child sexual abuse conspiracy, which occurred across multiple states and affected at least ten children. Within this criminal endeavor, Bistline worked alongside several others, including co-defendant Samuel Rappylee Bateman. Bateman, who led a religious sect based in Colorado City, engaged in the abuse after followers offered their minor daughters as child "brides" in 2020 and 2021.
Court documents revealed that Bistline participated in the abuse and attempted to conceal related evidence. He also provided support to the conspiracy by supplying luxury vehicles. Bateman and ten followers had previously pleaded guilty to related charges and were not involved in Bistline's trial.
The investigation was led by the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office. The United States Attorney’s Office in the District of Arizona, Phoenix, prosecuted the case. Contributions from the Arizona Department of Child Safety, the Colorado City Police Department, the Iron County Sheriff’s Office in Utah, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the FBI’s St. George Resident Agency were acknowledged for their assistance in handling the matter involving Arizona children.
