Nigerian Catholic Priest Found Guilty In US Of S3xually Abusing Women Under His Spiritual Care

A Nigerian-born Roman Catholic priest, Anthony Odiong, has been convicted by a jury in Texas, United States, on multiple sexual assault charges involving women who were under his spiritual guidance.

According to court proceedings, the 57-year-old cleric was found guilty of one count of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of second-degree sexual assault following a trial held in Waco, Texas. The verdict was delivered by a 12-member jury comprising eight women and four men after approximately two hours of deliberation.

During the trial, prosecutors presented testimony from two women who alleged that Odiong exploited his position as a trusted spiritual adviser to manipulate them into sexual relationships. The women told the court that the priest took advantage of their emotional vulnerability while providing religious counselling and spiritual direction.

One of the accusers testified that a sexual relationship began while she was receiving counselling during a difficult divorce. She further stated that her son once unexpectedly encountered the pair together in her home. Another woman alleged that the priest pressured her into sexual acts while presenting them as part of his spiritual guidance.

Despite maintaining his innocence and pleading not guilty throughout the proceedings, Odiong now faces the possibility of life imprisonment on the first-degree charge. Sentencing proceedings are scheduled to commence on Monday.

Prosecutors argued that the offences demonstrated a pattern of abuse of clerical authority, insisting that the priest used his influential position within the church to exploit women seeking spiritual support. The defence, however, contended that the relationships were consensual.

The case gained wider attention following an investigative report published in 2024 that detailed allegations of sexual misconduct and coercive behaviour linked to the priest during his ministry in Texas and Louisiana. Authorities stated that the report encouraged one of the victims to approach law enforcement with additional allegations, prompting a broader investigation.

Investigators subsequently uncovered further evidence, including DNA findings reportedly linking Odiong to a child fathered during his time serving in Louisiana.

Odiong, who was ordained in Nigeria in 1993 and later became a naturalised United States citizen, served in several Catholic parishes across Texas and Louisiana. Church authorities had previously suspended him from ministry in 2019 after earlier allegations of misconduct surfaced.