U.S. court convicts Nigerian Catholic priest Anthony Odiong of sexual assault, faces life imprisonment

A jury has convicted Nigerian Catholic priest Anthony Odiong of sexual assault and using his clerical status to sexually exploit women.

The cleric now risks life imprisonment under Texas law.

The UK Guardian on Saturday reported that, “Eight women and four men found Anthony Odiong, 57, guilty of one charge of sexual assault in the first degree and two such counts in the second degree involving two women, each of whom testified during a trial that began with jury selection on Tuesday in Waco.”

Mr Odiong risks life imprisonment on the first-degree charge and another two to 20 years in prison for the second-degree charges, with sentencing scheduled to begin Monday.

Investigations into Mr Odiong’s sexual assault and exploitation of women began after The Guardian reported women’s accusations against the priest.

When sentenced, Mr Odiong becomes the second priest who served Luling’s St Anthony of Padua to be convicted and jailed for a sexual assault-related crime in two years.

Retired Catholic priest Lawrence Hecker, 93, who pleaded guilty to charges of kidnapping and raping a boy in 1975 at a New Orleans church, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2024.