A Nigerian-born Catholic priest, Anthony Odiong, has been sentenced to life imprisonment in Texas, United States, for sexually assaulting women under his spiritual care.
Mr Odiong, a naturalised US citizen, was earlier convicted by a jury on 29 May in Texas after he was found guilty on one count of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of second-degree sexual assault after a trial in Waco, Texas.
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The jailed cleric was originally from Akwa Ibom State, South-south Nigeria, where he was ordained in 1993 and later served in Catholic parishes in Texas and Louisiana, two neighbouring states in the US.
Life imprisonment
Mr Odiong was sentenced to life imprisonment on Tuesday after some witnesses testified against him, the Guardian UK reported.
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Some character witnesses on behalf of Mr Odiong had appealed for him to receive probation, explaining that the convict could follow the rules of such an arrangement – such as living near Waco and not committing additional crimes.
But the jury declined and instead asked Mr Odiong to plead guilty in exchange for 20 years’ imprisonment, which he rejected.
Delivering judgement, the jury, which was made up of eight women and four men, handed Mr Odiong 20 years’ imprisonment on each of the two counts of second-degree sexual assault.
The jury also sentenced him to life imprisonment on one count of first-degree sexual assault.
The jurors also fined Mr Odiong $10,000 on each of the three counts, for a total of $30,000.
They, however, ruled that the three sentences would run concurrently, and that Mr Odiong will be eligible for parole after 30 years in prison.
Mr Odiong’s lawyer, Gerald Villarial, told reporters on Tuesday that he would seek an appeal.
Testimony against Odiong
Of the three counts for which Mr Odiong was convicted and now sentenced, two of the counts (second-degree sexual assault) involved two women, each of whom testified when the trial began in May.
The two women – Mary Doe and Jane Doe – said Mr Odiong used his role as a priest to manipulate and pressure them into sexual relationships.
One of the women, Mary, told the jury that Mr Odiong began a sexual relationship with her while providing spiritual counselling during a difficult divorce.
She further testified that her son once walked in on her and Mr Odiong during a sexual intercourse at her home.
On her part, the second woman, Jane, told the jury Mr Odiong pressured her into sexual acts under the pretext of spiritual guidance.
The prosecutors told the jury that Mr Odiong abused his clerical authority during periods of “emotional vulnerability.”
But Mr Odiong pleaded not guilty to the charges.
His lawyers argued during the trial that the relationships with the women were consensual, but prosecutors maintained that he abused his position of authority as a clergy member.
The convict had initially been charged with first-degree sexual assault of a third woman.
But prosecutors, Ryan Calvert and Liz Buice, dismissed that aspect of the case after the woman, said to be in an “extremely emotionally fragile” state, failed to show up to her expected appearance on the witness stand.
The prosecution opted against essentially tracking her down to ensure she appeared in court because of what they termed her “extremely tenuous” emotional condition.
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How the case came about
The trial began after a 2024 report by The Guardian, which first documented allegations of sexual misconduct and coercion against the priest during his ministry in Texas and Louisiana.
Prosecutors said that the report prompted one of the victims to come forward to police with further allegations.
Investigators later gathered additional evidence, including DNA linked to a child reportedly fathered by Mr Odiong during his time in Louisiana.
Authorities said the cleric was suspended from the ministry in 2019 following earlier allegations of misconduct.
