Carbon Nation Cult Leader Gets Life in Prison

Back in 2016 Facebook and Youtube users were entranced by a vegan, free-love commune, then called 'Melanated Nation,' streaming their daily lives from Honduras. 

The commune was led by a charismatic former male stripper turned barber named Eligio "Natureboy" Bishop, who invited men and women to move to the jungle with him and follow his teachings....

People came from all over the world and upon arrival handed over their cash, bank accounts, PIN numbers, credit cards and other worldly possessions to fund their polygamist, back-to-nature lifestyle. The collective also received hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from viewers. 

Over time the live streams took a dark turn while the group moved around Central America and changed their name to Carbon Nation. Natureboy now called himself the 3God and openly referred to himself as a cult leader.

Carbon Nation was kicked out of Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama and Natureboy was arrested in Hawaii and Puerto Rico after viewers called the police over disturbing incidents shown on the live stream. Beatings as punishment administered by other members as directed by Bishop, became regular occurrences as well as other forms of abuse and unacceptable behaviors.

Membership dwindled and what was left of the group eventually ended up just outside Atlanta where the story ends. 

On Friday in Dekalb County, Natureboy was sentenced to life in prison without parole + 10 years, for forcing himself on one of the cult members and posting video of the attack on social media after she tried to leave.

From 11 Alive 

A judge sentenced alleged cult leader Eligio Bishop to life without parole plus 10 years after a jury found him guilty of rxpe and other charges Friday.

The 40-year-old, known as "Natureboy," is the alleged leader of the "Carbon Nation" group. He was arrested in April 2022. A grand jury later indicted him on five charges, including rxpe in July 2022.

For context about this case, a former member of the alleged cult who identified herself as his girlfriend said he posted revenge pxrn "because she left him." Police reports detailed that the woman told authorities 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 X, formerly known as Twitter. Later, Bishop's wife and former cult member told 11Alive he had sexually and emotionally abused members.

Before the judge handed down the sentence Friday, some of the witnesses gave statements to the court, sharing some of the abuse they experienced. One of them even described Bishop as “a monster to us all."

"Now you are a prisioner, like you prisoned us," she said.

Bishop, who the judge told to direct his comments to her, made a statement, claiming he wasn't upset. He repeated several times, "I forgive you" and "I still love you" in court.