Priest accused of child pornography possession, sexual assault to appear in court

Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:
Anthony Okoneffiong Odiong’s mugshot. Credit: The Collier County Sheriff’s Office

A Catholic priest accused of possessing child pornography and sexual assault is expected to appear in court.

According to the Waco Police Department in Texas, in March, information was reported to them regarding a sexual assault conducted by Anthony Okoneffiong Odion, 55, that occurred in their jurisdiction back in 2012.

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.

On Tuesday, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshal’s Service executed an arrest warrant out of Texas for his home address in Immokalee.

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

He was booked into the Collier County jail, awaiting extradition to Texas.

During the investigation of Odiong, law enforcement claimed that multiple women had come forward to tell similar experiences to the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation.

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

Currently, there is no evidence or indication that there may be alleged victims in Collier County.

Odiong is expected to appear in court at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.