Authorities in Santa Cruz, California have arrested an LGBTQ+ journalist identified as a fugitive and a “sexually violent predator” after he failed to register as a sex offender.
George Paul Bishop, 66, had been living and working under the assumed name “Brody Levesque” in Santa Cruz County south of San Francisco since 2016.
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Bishop, with an extensive list of writing credits for LGBTQ+ media, had been using the alias “Brody Levesque” for several years following his arrest and conviction for manufacturing and possessing child pornography.
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In 2005, Bishop pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison and 12 years of probation for photographing and recording a 16-year-old boy in bondage gear at the home of a co-defendant, who was also convicted.
Bishop was required to register as a Tier 3 sex offender for life but failed to do so in 2016. The Virginia State Police Sex Offender registry lists Bishop’s former Annandale, Virginia home and business address and describes him as “wanted” and an “absconder,” a legal term for a person who has secretly left a jurisdiction to avoid legal consequences.
Bishop was arraigned on Friday and remains in custody in Santa Cruz County. He’s scheduled for a review hearing on April 1 on a likely extradition request to Virginia.
U.S. Marshals and Santa Cruz Police swarmed Bishop’s home in Capitola on Wednesday morning to execute the warrant.
A search online for “Brody Levesque” reveals writing credits for several high-profile LGBTQ+ news outlets, including most recently the Los Angeles Blade. A LinkedIn profile lists his role there as “editor” at the publication for four years, “Responsible for daily management of a GLAAD award-winning news/media site.”
In a statement to LGBTQ Nation, Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade, said, “Brody Levesque worked as a freelance writer for the Los Angeles Blade. In June of 2022, Brody stepped into the editor role, replacing Karen Ocamb. In June of 2024, Brody’s work relationship was discontinued for overreaching and exaggerating titles.”
Additional outlets “Levesque” has written for include Pink News, The New Civil Rights Movement, Georgia Voice, the LA Blade’s sister publication The Washington Blade, and LGBTQ Nation.
In a statement to this publication, Scott Gatz, the founder and CEO of LGBTQ Nation’s parent company, Q.Digital, confirmed “Levesque” once wrote for the outlet.
“This individual has never worked for Q.Digital, but his byline appears in the archives which we acquired in 2015,” Gatz said.
Bishop’s latest appearance as “Brody Levesque” was his appointment to a media advisory board for a new LGBTQ+ investigation-focused outlet called Uncloseted Media, reported by Axios in September.
“Levesque” was described as a “heavy hitter” in LGBTQ+ media.
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