Anthony Odiong, a 57-year-old Catholic priest, faced a jury Tuesday as it began deliberating his sentence following his conviction on sexual assault charges that could result in a prison term ranging from five years to life.
The jury returned guilty verdicts on Friday after a four-day trial, finding Odiong had abused his position as a spiritual director to sexually assault two women. He was convicted of first-degree sexual assault in connection with one victim and second-degree sexual assault related to another. The second charge carries a potential sentence of two to 20 years.
The sentencing phase opened Monday with testimony from witnesses who described a pattern of sexual misconduct spanning more than a decade. Two former Baylor University students described inappropriate touching during spiritual counseling sessions. One woman testified that Odiong grabbed her leg and embraced her in a way she could feel his arousal after she had confessed to him. The second student said he nibbled her ear during a hug and lifted her by her buttocks on a separate occasion.
A third woman from Odiong's congregation in Luling, Louisiana testified that he made sexual advances toward her months after her husband's death, which he had counseled her through. She described him kissing her without consent during a pilgrimage to Medjugorje in Bosnia and later finding him standing beside her bed in his Florida home late at night.
The prosecution's case centered on Odiong's exploitation of spiritual authority. Under Texas law, his position as a spiritual director made his conduct felony assault even when indirect. One victim, identified as Jane Doe in court, testified that Odiong pressured her to comply with sexual acts her then-husband proposed as a way to save her marriage, then demanded she relay details back to him. Prosecutors argued this indirect coercion qualified as assault given his spiritual hold over her.
The defense strategy focused on minimizing the conduct as consensual dating. Odiong's attorneys argued he was simply a human being who had relationships in his personal time, even if those relationships violated his celibacy vows. They called character witnesses who described him as caring and compassionate. One former parishioner testified that Odiong had performed an exorcism that changed his life, and he pledged to financially support Odiong's child and the child's mother.
Yet even defense witnesses acknowledged the severity of the convictions. When prosecutors cross-examined them, most conceded that sexual conduct with parishioners did not befit a priest.
Odiong spent roughly 17 years beginning in 2006 serving as a pastor in the Waco area and later at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Luling. The New Orleans archdiocese removed him from his pastoral role in late 2023 after allegations of clerical misconduct with multiple women became public. A Guardian investigation published in February 2024 documented accusations of sexual coercion, unwanted touching and financial abuse from women who had sought spiritual direction from him.
That reporting prompted one woman, later identified as Mary Doe, to approach Waco police and describe a sexual relationship with Odiong from 2008 to 2011 while he provided her spiritual guidance. Her complaint triggered an investigation that led to charges against Odiong involving both her account and that of another woman interviewed by the Guardian.
Church records and testimony raised questions about institutional handling of complaints. A former Baylor student testified Monday that she had reported Odiong to the local bishop's office directly but received little response. She filed a second report in 2019 through a system designed for child abuse allegations because no option existed for adult victims. The Waco diocese suspended Odiong from ministry, though testimony suggested this occurred earlier than church officials previously acknowledged, possibly as early as 2018. Yet he continued performing masses in the area beyond that date. New Orleans officials waited four more years before taking similar action.
Odiong, a naturalized U.S. citizen ordained in Nigeria in 1993, maintained a devoted following in part through prayer services where some attendees reported miraculous healings. His supporters demonstrated commitment during the legal proceedings. A jail auditor testified Monday that Odiong spent more than $24,000 on phone calls since his July 2024 arrest. Supporters offered to contribute up to $25,000 toward his bond, which was ultimately set at more than $5 million, keeping him in custody throughout trial.
Author James Rodriguez: "The jury now faces a choice between two vastly different portraits of Anthony Odiong, but the testimony about his conduct from his own spiritual charges leaves little room for mercy."
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