•••May Face Life Imprisonment
Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
A Nigerian-born Roman Catholic priest, Anthony Odiong, has been convicted in the United States after a Texas jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting women who were under his spiritual care.
The 57-year-old cleric was convicted on one count of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of second-degree sexual assault following a trial in Waco, Texas.
The verdict was delivered on Friday after a jury comprising eight women and four men deliberated for about two hours.
The case centred on allegations that Odiong exploited his position as a priest to initiate and maintain sexual relationships with women who had sought his guidance during emotionally vulnerable periods of their lives.
Prosecutors told the court that the priest abused the trust and authority attached to his clerical role, targeting women he was counselling and providing spiritual direction to.
One of the complainants, identified in court as Mary Doe, testified that Odiong began a sexual relationship with her while supporting her through a divorce. She further told the court that her son once walked in on the pair during intercourse at her residence.
A second woman, identified as Jane Doe, alleged that the priest pressured her into sexual acts while presenting them as part of his spiritual guidance.
Although Odiong pleaded not guilty and maintained that the relationships were consensual, prosecutors argued that the encounters were shaped by a significant imbalance of power stemming from his position as a religious leader.
The conviction follows allegations first highlighted in a 2024 investigation by The Guardian, which reported claims of sexual misconduct and coercive behaviour linked to the priest’s ministry in Texas and Louisiana.
According to prosecutors, the publication of the report encouraged one of the victims to approach law enforcement with additional allegations.
Investigators later uncovered further evidence, including DNA evidence linked to a child fathered by Odiong during his time serving in Louisiana.
Ordained in Nigeria in 1993, Odiong later relocated to the United States, where he became a naturalised citizen and served in several Catholic parishes across Texas and Louisiana.
Church authorities suspended him from ministry in 2019 following earlier allegations of misconduct.
He now faces the possibility of life imprisonment on the first-degree sexual assault conviction, with sentencing proceedings scheduled to begin on Monday.
