Anthony Odiong, a Nigerian-born Catholic priest has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the United States after being convicted of sexually assaulting female parishioners under his spiritual care.
Odiong, 57, was handed the life sentence by a jury at a state courthouse in Waco, Texas, on Tuesday after being found guilty of exploiting his position as a clergyman to engage in sexual relations with members of his congregation.
According to reports, witnesses testified that the priest engaged in sexually inappropriate conduct over a period spanning more than a decade.
The convicted priest entered a two-day sentencing hearing knowing he faced a punishment ranging from five years to life imprisonment following his conviction on a first-degree sexual assault charge.
In addition to the life sentence, Odiong was found guilty on two counts of second-degree sexual assault and received 20 years imprisonment on each count.
The sentences will run concurrently, while the court also imposed fines of $10,000 on each charge.
The jury concluded that Odiong unlawfully exploited his spiritual authority as a Catholic priest to have sexual relations with two devoted female parishioners, either directly or through a proxy.
His attorney, Gerald Villarial, confirmed that an appeal would be filed against the judgment.
“An appeal will be filed,” Villarial said after the sentencing.
Odiong served as a Catholic priest for nearly 17 years, beginning in 2006. During that period, he ministered in Waco, Texas, before later becoming pastor of a Catholic church in Luling, a suburb of New Orleans, Louisiana.
Under the sentence imposed by the court, the priest will become eligible for parole after serving 30 years in prison.
