Father Anthony Odiong, a Nigerian Catholic priest, has been found guilty on all counts of sexual assault in a Texas court, exposing him to a possible life sentence in prison.
A jury in McLennan County, Waco, Texas, convicted the former priest on three felony counts of sexual assault after several women accused him of sexual and financial abuse. Under Texas law, it is a crime for clergy to engage in sexual activity with individuals who depend on them emotionally as spiritual advisers.
Odiong served as a priest at St. Peter Catholic Student Center in Waco, Texas, and at St. Mary’s Church of the Assumption in West, Texas, from 2007 to 2012. He later served in Luling, Louisiana, from around 2015 to 2023, where he is now suspended from ministry.
The charges relate to alleged actions in Texas more than 15 years ago, between 2009 and 2011, when prosecutors say he exploited vulnerable women by abusing his spiritual authority. At least eight women have come forward with similar stories of abuse, claiming he groped, sexually assaulted, or financially abused them, including one woman who sought his counsel over marriage troubles.
During the investigation, police also found Odiong in possession of child pornography when he was arrested in Ave Maria, Florida, in July 2024. He was not indicted on that charge but could face it in the future. He is currently being held at McLennan County Jail on a $2.5 million bond.
If convicted on the most serious charge, a first-degree felony, Odiong could face life in prison. He faces up to 20 years in prison for each second-degree sexual assault conviction. The Archdiocese stated that once it became aware of allegations of criminal activity, it reported him to law enforcement and removed him from ministry.
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