Nigerian Catholic Priest Anthony Odiong Convicted of Sexual Assault in US

A Texas jury has convicted former Roman Catholic priest Anthony Odiong of sexually assaulting women who sought his spiritual guidance, concluding a closely followed case in which he was accused of abusing his position as a clergyman to engage in sexual relationships with vulnerable parishioners.

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The jury, made up of eight women and four men, found Odiong, 57, guilty of one count of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of second-degree sexual assault involving two women who testified during the trial in Waco.

Odiong, who denied the charges, now faces a possible life sentence on the first-degree conviction. Sentencing is set to begin on Monday before the same jury. Each second-degree conviction carries a prison term of between two and 20 years, according to The Guardian.

Jurors deliberated for about two hours before reaching their verdict.

Initially, the case included allegations from a third woman, but prosecutors Ryan Calvert and Liz Buice dropped that portion after the complainant, described as being in an “extremely emotionally fragile” condition, failed to appear in court. Prosecutors said they chose not to compel her testimony due to her “extremely tenuous” emotional state.

Court observers reported that Odiong showed little reaction as Judge Thomas West read the verdict, sitting quietly before lowering his head as deputies led him out of the courtroom.

The case stemmed from allegations first made public in February 2024 by a group of women who accused Odiong of sexual coercion, unwanted touching, and financial control while serving as a Catholic priest in Texas and later in Louisiana.

One complainant, identified under the pseudonym Mary Doe, submitted a media report detailing the allegations to Waco police and accused Odiong of assaulting her over a three-year period beginning in 2008.

Investigators later identified a second complainant, Jane Doe, who also alleged abuse during the same period while Odiong was serving in the Waco area. Authorities said additional reports from other women helped establish probable cause for his arrest and prosecution despite the age of the allegations.

During the trial, Mary Doe testified that Odiong began a long-term sexual relationship with her while acting as her spiritual adviser as she navigated a difficult divorce and raised seven children. She and one of her sons told jurors that the child once walked in on them during a sexual encounter in her bedroom after a family gathering.

Jane Doe told the court she sought spiritual counselling from Odiong while in an abusive marriage. She alleged that he pressured her into allowing sexual acts with her husband that she found painful and later required her to recount the encounters to him. Prosecutors argued that such conduct amounted to sexual assault under Texas law, even though Odiong was not directly involved in the acts.

Both women said they met Odiong while he served at St Peter Catholic Center in Waco, a church frequented by Baylor University students and staff. Their former husbands were employees of the university, placing them within his pastoral reach.

Jurors also heard evidence that DNA testing showed Odiong fathered a child in 2023 with a woman identified as Presley Jones, whom he had counselled while serving at St Anthony of Padua Church in Luling, Louisiana.

Although he was not charged in relation to that case due to differences in Louisiana law, prosecutors said the evidence demonstrated a broader pattern of relationships with women he met through his ministry.

Expert witnesses told the court that clergy members have a duty to maintain strict professional and spiritual boundaries with parishioners. Jurors were also reminded of the Catholic Church’s requirement that priests remain celibate.

The defence called only one witness, a former parishioner, who testified to Odiong’s character and recalled attending a 2011 gathering at Mary Doe’s home. However, under cross-examination, the witness conceded that Odiong’s conduct fell short of expectations for a religious leader.

Odiong, a naturalised United States citizen, was ordained in 1993 in Nigeria and later assigned to the Austin Diocese region, which includes Waco, in 2006 under then-Bishop Gregory Aymond.

After studying in Rome, he moved to Luling in 2015, by which time Aymond had become Archbishop of New Orleans.

Church authorities in Austin said Odiong was suspended from ministry in 2019 over allegations involving multiple women, though the suspension was not publicly disclosed at the time. New Orleans church leaders were informed, but Archbishop Aymond did not publicly announce a similar suspension until late 2023.