Texas jury convicts Catholic priest of sexual assault after Guardian reporting

Anthony Odiong was charged with exploiting his status to pursue sex with women he was giving spiritual direction to A jury in Texas has convicted a Roman Catholic priest charged with illegally exploiting his status as a clergyman to pursue sex with women to whom he was providing spiritual direction. Eight women and four men found Anthony Odiong, 57, guilty of one charge of sexual assault in the first degree and two such counts in the second degree involving two women, each of whom testified during a trial that began with jury selection on Tuesday in Waco. He could face life imprisonment on the first-degree charge after a sentencing phase involving the same jury that is scheduled to begin Monday. The second-degree charges could carry from two to 20 years in prison. The jury deliberated for about two hours before coming to the verdict. Odiong, who pleaded not guilty, had initially been charged with first-degree sexual assault of a third woman. But prosecutors Ryan Calvert and Liz Buice dismissed that aspect of the case after the woman – said to be in an “extremely emotionally fragile” state – failed to show up to her expected appearance on the witness stand. The prosecution opted aga