A former Nigerian Catholic priest, Anthony Odiong, has been convicted by a Texas jury for sexually assaulting women under his spiritual care, in a case that drew significant public attention over allegations of abuse of clerical authority.
Odiong, 57, was found guilty on one count of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of second-degree sexual assault involving two women who testified during proceedings in a Waco court.
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The former priest had denied all allegations, but the jury — made up of eight women and four men — returned a guilty verdict after about two hours of deliberation.
With the conviction on the first-degree charge, Odiong could face a life sentence, while each second-degree offence carries a possible jail term of between two and 20 years. Sentencing is expected to commence on Monday before the same jury, according to reports by The Guardian.
A third allegation was initially part of the case, but prosecutors Ryan Calvert and Liz Buice later withdrew it after the complainant, described as emotionally vulnerable, failed to appear in court. Prosecutors said they decided against forcing her to testify because of her fragile mental state.
Courtroom observers said Odiong showed little emotion as Judge Thomas West delivered the verdict. He reportedly stared ahead throughout the proceedings before lowering his head as security officials escorted him out of the courtroom.
The criminal case followed accusations first made public in February 2024 by several women who alleged that Odiong engaged in sexual manipulation, inappropriate touching and financial control while serving as a priest in Texas and later Louisiana.
One of the accusers, identified in court documents as Mary Doe, later approached Waco police with a media publication detailing the allegations and accused Odiong of abusing her repeatedly over a three-year period beginning in 2008.
Investigators later identified another complainant, Jane Doe, who alleged that she was also abused during the same period while Odiong ministered in the Waco area. Authorities said accounts from additional women strengthened the case for his arrest despite the incidents occurring years earlier.
During testimony, Mary Doe told jurors that Odiong began a prolonged sexual relationship with her while acting as her spiritual adviser during a difficult divorce and while she cared for seven children. She and one of her sons testified that the child once walked in on them having sex in her bedroom after a family event.
Jane Doe told the court that she sought counselling from Odiong while trapped in an abusive marriage. She alleged that he pressured her into engaging in painful sexual acts with her husband and later demanded details of those encounters. Prosecutors argued that such actions amounted to sexual assault under Texas law, despite Odiong not directly participating in the acts.
Both women said they became acquainted with Odiong while he served at St Peter Catholic Center in Waco, a parish attended by Baylor University students and staff members. Their former husbands were employees of the university.
Jurors were also informed that DNA tests confirmed Odiong fathered a child in 2023 with Presley Jones, a woman he reportedly counselled spiritually while serving at St Anthony of Padua Church in Luling, Louisiana.
Although no criminal charges were filed in Louisiana because the state lacks legislation similar to Texas’ clergy sexual assault law, prosecutors argued that the child supported claims of a repeated pattern involving women he encountered through ministry work.
Expert witnesses testified that clergy members are expected to maintain professional and spiritual boundaries with parishioners under their guidance. The court also heard evidence concerning the Catholic Church’s vow of celibacy for priests.
The defence presented only one witness, a former parishioner, who spoke positively about Odiong’s character and recalled attending a gathering at Mary Doe’s residence in 2011. However, under cross-examination, the witness admitted that the priest’s behaviour did not align with expectations of a religious leader.
Odiong, who became a naturalised American citizen, was ordained in Nigeria in 1993 before being transferred to the Austin Diocese region, including Waco, in 2006 by then-Bishop Gregory Aymond.
After further studies in Rome, he relocated to Luling in 2015, by which time Aymond had become Archbishop of New Orleans.
Church authorities in Austin later disclosed that Odiong was suspended from ministry in 2019 following allegations involving multiple women. However, the suspension was not publicly announced at the time, though officials said church leaders in New Orleans were informed.
Archbishop Aymond only publicly revealed a similar suspension in late 2023.
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