A Roman Catholic priest was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday after being found guilty of felony sexual assault, according to local prosecutors and representatives of the 19th District Court in Waco, Texas.
On Friday, a jury found the priest, Anthony Odiong, guilty of one count of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of second-degree sexual assault. The same jury handed down his sentence on Tuesday.
A monthslong investigation in 2024 uncovered nine women who alleged that Father Odiong had sexually abused them while serving as their priest, according to Ryan Calvert, a prosecutor with the McLennan County district attorney’s office. One additional woman was discovered in 2025, he said.
DNA evidence presented by prosecutors before the trial showed that Father Odiong had almost certainly become the father of a child as a result of the abuse, according to the Waco Police Department.
Continue reading at the New York Times