Priest accused of sexual assault, child porn arrested in Ave Maria

Reporter: Asha Patel Writer: Carolina Guzman
Published: Updated:
Anthony Odiong Credit: The Waco Police Department

A priest who allegedly committed sexual assaults back in 2012 is now being held in the Collier County Jail.

According to the Waco Police Department in Texas, in March, information was reported to them regarding a sexual assault that occurred in 2012.

The person who allegedly committed the sexual assault is a Catholic priest by the name of Anthony Odiong.

We spoke to someone with the U.S. Marshall’s, and they said Odiong had a home in Ave Maria.

During the investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered, which led to the arrest of Anthony Odiong on Tuesday in Ave Maria.

Odiong is currently in the Collier County Jail awaiting extradition.

The police department said that during the sexual assault investigation, the presence of other survivors was revealed.

Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences to the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation.

Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognized as groping.

There was also alleged financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Odiong’s manipulation.

The police department believes there may be more survivors, and they wish to speak with anyone who has had similar encounters with Odiong in McLennan County, Texas, and throughout the United States.  

Odiong served as a Catholic priest at St. Peters Catholic Student Center in Waco, Texas, and St. Mary’s of the Assumption in West, Texas, from 2007 to 2012.

He also served in Luling, Louisiana, from around 2015 to 2023.

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