Testimony is scheduled to commence on Wednesday in the sexual assault trial of former Central Texas Catholic priest Anthony Odiong, who stands accused of exploiting the emotional dependency of his parishioners to engage in sexual acts.
The 57-year-old Nigerian native faces five first-degree felony counts and two second-degree felony counts of sexual assault in Waco’s 19th State District Court. The charges involve three of his former parishioners who had reportedly sought his spiritual guidance during periods of personal distress.
Since his arrest, a total of nine women have levelled sexual assault allegations against Mr Odiong. Among the claims is a case where DNA testing established that the former priest fathered a child with one of the complainants.
Mr Odiong, who previously served in parishes across West, Waco, Louisiana, and Florida, appeared in court on Tuesday attired in a grey suit and white dress shirt, noticeably devoid of a clerical collar or tie. Throughout the day-long jury selection process, prosecutor Ryan Calvert pointedly referred to the defendant as “Mister Odiong” rather than “Father Odiong”.
Legal teams successfully empanelled a jury comprising eight women and four men, alongside two female alternates. Court officials anticipate the trial will extend into the middle of next week.
While sexual assault is typically classified as a second-degree felony, the charges against Mr Odiong were elevated to first-degree felonies which carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment because some of the alleged victims were married. Under local statutes, the offence is upgraded if a defendant is legally prohibited from marrying the victim under bigamy laws.
The prosecution, led by Ryan Calvert and Liz Buice, alongside defence barristers Gerald Villarrial and Carolina Truesdale, questioned a pool of 100 potential jurors. The attorneys explicitly clarified from the outset that the allegations do not involve children. Mr Odiong remains in custody under bonds totalling $5.5 million following his arrest in Florida two years ago on separate child pornography allegations, though he has not yet been indicted on those specific charges.
During the voir dire (jury selection) process, Mr Calvert focused significantly on explaining the legal parameters of clerical authority, noting that clergy, counsellors, and mental health professionals are legally prohibited from exploiting emotionally dependent individuals for sexual purposes.
The jury pool reflected the contentious nature of the case: 10 prospects stated they had already formed an opinion regarding the defendant’s guilt or innocence, 17 indicated they could not consider probation in the event of a conviction, and 24 expressed disagreement with the law dictating that sex between a clergyman and an emotionally dependent adult cannot be legally consensual. Additionally, seven panel members disclosed previous negative experiences with a member of the clergy or a therapist.
On the defence side, Mr Villarrial closely questioned the candidates regarding the state’s rigorous burden of proof, reminding the panel that the standard of “beyond a reasonable doubt” remains higher than the legal threshold required to terminate parental rights.
Mr Odiong’s past ministry included tenures at St Mary’s Church of the Assumption in West, St Peter’s Catholic Student Center at Baylor University, and St Anthony of Padua in Luling, Louisiana. The Catholic Diocese of Austin stripped him of his authorization to engage in priestly ministry in 2019, stating that it had subsequently forwarded warnings regarding his conduct to dioceses in both New Orleans and Nigeria. The current trial addresses unlawful sexual activity alleged to have occurred between 2010 and 2012.
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