DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The alleged leader of a DeKalb County cult, whose arrest made headlines last year for in part for the seriousness of the charges against him and in part for his social media popularity and the cult's peculiarity, has a new lawyer as the case slowly progresses.
Eligio Bishop, otherwise known as "Natureboy," remains in DeKalb County Jail without bond pending a trial. He faces charges, including rape and false imprisonment.
Bishop, 39, had tens of thousands of followers on Instagram and YouTube accounts that referred to him as "Th3 3God" and projected his messianic self-image as the leader of the "Carbon Nation" group.
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His videos and sermons portrayed him as a God-like figure, and he said in one message after his arrest: "They want to crucify me, they want me dead, there's hate that surrounds me, you can feel it, just like any other prophet — only me, I'm the return of the Christ."
He was arrested after a former member of the cult who identified herself as his girlfriend said he posted revenge porn "because she left him." Police reports detailed that the woman told police that "she had joined a sex cult in which her boyfriend is the leader" and that "she did live together with Mr. Bishop and he has posted sexually explicit videos of her and him without her consent on Twitter."
Both his wife and another former cult member later told 11Alive he had sexually and emotionally abused them.
Nearly a year after his arrest, he's again seeking bond to be released from jail after a motion for bond by the public defender who had been representing him was denied in late January.
Here's what's happened lately in the case:
Latest developments in "Natureboy" Eligio Bishop rape, false imprisonment case in DeKalb County
- November 30, 2022: The public defender representing Bishop made a new motion for bond after he was previously denied bond both in June and after his arrest in May.
- December 22, 2022: Bishop retained his new attorney and submitted a motion in court to substitute the new counsel. The attorney also filed a motion for discovery that day.
- January 27, 2023: The bond hearing for Bishop was held, and he was denied bond a third time.
- February 23, 2023: Bishop's new lawyer filed a demand for a speedy trial motion. An earlier speedy trial demand motion was filed in August 2022, but the newer filing suggests that one was filed incorrectly.
- March 22, 2023: A new motion for bond was entered.
What next?
So far, there does not appear to have been a bond hearing scheduled. Bishop's attorney has submitted a leave of absence dates to the court outlining when he would not be available, and a second attorney on Thursday filed an "entry of limited appearance" to represent Bishop solely at his next bond hearing.
No trial date has been scheduled.