Former Walnut Creek Attorney Convicted Of 27 Felony Counts In Child Sexual Abuse Case

A Contra Costa County jury on Monday convicted a former Walnut Creek real estate attorney of dozens of felony charges involving the sexual abuse of children and possession of child sexual abuse material.

Jonathan Dean Bishop, 51, was found guilty of 27 felony counts, including 24 counts of committing lewd acts on three victims under the age of 14. The victims were identified in court records as Jane Doe #1, Jane Doe #2 and Jane Doe #3.

Prosecutors said the abuse of the three victims occurred over a number of years. The crimes involving Jane Doe #1 took place between June 2012 and June 2021, the abuse of Jane Doe #2 occurred between February 2012 and February 2021, and the crimes involving Jane Doe #3 took place between September 2004 and September 2014.

The jury also convicted Bishop of sexually abusing Jane Doe #1 when she was under the age of 10. Prosecutors said that abuse occurred between June 2010 and June 2018.

In addition, Bishop was found guilty of possessing more than 600 images of child sexual abuse material depicting two of the victims. The images were recovered from a hard drive seized by police at Oakland International Airport on Dec. 13, 2023, when Bishop was taken into custody after arriving from Florida, where he had been living.

Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton said the conviction was made possible by the courage of the victims and the work of investigators.

“The bravery shown by these victims was extraordinary, and their courage made this conviction possible,” Becton said in a statement. “Our office will always stand with the most vulnerable members of our community and remain committed to holding those who harm children accountable.”

Bishop now faces multiple life sentences. Sentencing has not yet been announced.