Nigerian Catholic Priest Found Guilty of S+xually Ab¥sing Women Under His Spiritual Care in U.S

 

A Texas jury has found Nigerian-born Catholic priest Anthony Odiong guilty of s+xually a§§aulting women under his spiritual care.

The 57-year-old was convicted of one count of first-degree s+xual a§§ault and two counts of second-degree s+xual a§%ault after a trial in Waco, Texas. Jurors reached their verdict after about two hours of deliberation.

Prosecutors said Odiong abused his position as a priest to manipulate vulnerable women he was counselling into s+xual relationships. Two women testified that he used his spiritual authority to pressure them into s+xual acts during periods of emotional hardship.

One victim told the court the relationship began while he was counselling her through a divorce, while another said he coerced her into s+xual acts under the guise of spiritual guidance.

The case followed a 2024 report by  The Guardian that detailed allegations of misconduct against the priest. Investigators later uncovered additional evidence, including DNA linking him to a child fathered during his ministry in Louisiana.

Ordained in Nigeria in 1993, Odiong later became a U.S citizen and served in Catholic parishes in Texas and Louisiana before being suspended in 2019 over earlier allegations. He pleaded not guilty, with his lawyers arguing the relationships were consensual, but prosecutors maintained he exploited his clerical authority. He could face life imprisonment when sentencing begins on Monday.