Nigerian Catholic Priest Indicted on Sexual Assault Charges in Texas

The Nigerian Catholic Priest, Odiong previously served as a priest at St. Peter Catholic Student Center in Waco, Texas, and St. Mary’s Church of the Assumption in West, Texas, from 2007 to 2012.

Texas, USA — A Nigerian Catholic priest, Father Odiong, has been indicted in McLennan County, Texas, on multiple felony sexual assault charges following accusations from several victims.

According to court documents and investigative reports cited by The New York Times, the priest was indicted on Thursday on two counts of second-degree sexual assault and one count of first-degree sexual assault.

Father Odiong was arrested in July in Ave Maria, Florida, after local investigators discovered child pornography while probing earlier sexual assault allegations. While he has not yet been indicted for possession of child pornography, Detective Bradley DeLange suggested that additional charges may follow.

The investigation into Father Odiong began months ago, after law enforcement received “credible information” about a sexual assault he allegedly committed in 2012. Since then, several women have come forward with similar accounts, alleging instances of groping, sexual assault, and financial exploitation. Among them was a woman who had sought the priest’s guidance regarding her marital issues.

Under Texas law, engaging in sexual activity with individuals who depend on clergy for emotional support constitutes sexual assault.

Father Odiong previously served as a priest at St. Peter Catholic Student Center in Waco, Texas, and St. Mary’s Church of the Assumption in West, Texas, from 2007 to 2012. He later worked in Luling, Louisiana, from 2015 to 2023.

The priest is currently being held at the McLennan County Jail on a $2.5 million bond. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison for the second-degree charges and potentially life imprisonment for the first-degree felony, according to Christopher King, an attorney representing several victims in a separate civil lawsuit.

The case first drew public attention in February when The Guardian reported on the allegations, which Father Odiong later denied in an April Facebook post, calling them a “false, salacious, and one-sided smear campaign.”

Both Archbishop Gregory Aymond, who previously oversaw the Diocese of Austin during Father Odiong’s tenure there, and Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, the current head of the Diocese of Austin, have expressed their commitment to cooperating with law enforcement.

Sarah McDonald, a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, confirmed that Father Odiong had been serving in ministry at the request of the Diocese of Uyo in Nigeria. “When the archdiocese became aware of allegations of criminal activity, we reported him to law enforcement and removed him from ministry,” she stated.