DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Editor's note: DeKalb County has pushed the case from Tuesday, Feb. 20, to Wednesday, Feb. 21; the dates below have been edited.
An alleged cult leader will stand trial next week, according to the Office of the DeKalb County District Attorney.
Eligio Bishop, known as "Natureboy," remains in DeKalb County Jail without bond pending a trial. He faces charges, including rape and false imprisonment.
Bishop, 40, 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.
He was arrested in April of 2022 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 (now the social media platform X)."
Both his wife and another former cult member later told 11Alive he had sexually and emotionally abused them.
A grand jury indicted him on charges of rape, false imprisonment and three counts of prohibition on nude or sexually explicit electronic transmissions in July of 2022.
In November, his attorney asked for Bishop to be let out on bond, arguing that Bishop had never been convicted of a felony and was not a risk to intimidate. The state disagreed, saying he is a flight risk, as he’s been deported from several Central American countries and has a criminal history in Hawaii, adding that they believe he’s at risk of intimidating witnesses, primarily victims.
A DeKalb County Superior Court Judge scheduled the case to begin with a motions hearing and jury selection on Wednesday, Feb. 21.
Latest developments in the case
- Early June 2023: Judge denies bond for Bishop again. The judge also denied his motion to file an "out-of-time demand" for a speedy trial as it had yet been a year since his indictment.
"The Court asks the State to work hastily to prepare this case for trial, as the Court intends to bring this case to trial as soon as practicable." - June 29, 2023: Pre-trial hearing
- July 27, 2023: Another motion on Bishop's behalf to withdraw his attorney.
- November 3, 2023: Trial date set for February 2024 during a motions hearing. The bond was denied again.
- February 21, 2024: Trial set to begin with a motions hearing and jury selection.