Alleged cult leader called himself ‘ladies’ man,’ said he had no need to rape women in recording

ATLANTA — More disturbing testimony Monday from an alleged cult leader who is on trial for rape in DeKalb County.

Channel 2′s Audrey Washington was inside the courtroom as former followers took the stand and a police recording was played from the defendant, himself.

He told police in that recording that he was a “ladies’ man” and that the allegations against him were false, but a former follower told a much different story.

“We couldn’t use the bathroom. We had to use the bathroom a certain way,” one follower testified.

The former followers, whom we are not identifying, described how they believed they were sexually, mentally and emotionally controlled by alleged cult leader Eligio Bishop, otherwise known as Nature Boy.

“Women couldn’t wear shirts, we had to put leaves on our nipples,” one of the women said. “Every woman had to have sex with Nature Boy, and a lot of times it would be forced.”

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Bishop is accused of raping a former member, sharing sexually explicit content on social media and then preventing the woman from leaving the group.

But inside court, the judge allowed a police recording of Bishop speaking with investigators after his 2022 arrest.

In that recording, the 40-year-old denied all of the allegations leveled against him.

“Why would I rape a girl? I’m a ladies’ man. I’ve got five or six women, what would I rape a girl for? They come to me,” Bishop said on the recording.

“Then why would anyone accuse of that?” an investigator asked Bishop.

“Because they’re mad,” Bishop said.

Last week, current followers of Bishop showed their support.

“A man is being locked up for something that didn’t happen, and it’s unfair,” one follower told Channel 2 Action News.

But, one of the ex-followers maintained on the stand that all of the women in the group were all sexually exploited.

“Every woman had to have sex with Nature Boy or some kind of sexual fantasy,” the former follower said.

Court is expected to resume Tuesday morning. We are still working to learn if Bishop himself will take the stand in his own defense this week.

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