Priest on trial for sexual assault in Texas had child with Louisiana congregant, prosecutors say
Summary
A Catholic priest named Anthony Odiong is on trial in Texas for using his position to have sex with vulnerable women at his church. Prosecutors revealed that Odiong has a child with a woman from Louisiana, showing a pattern of abuse connected to his clerical work.Key Facts
- Anthony Odiong is a Catholic priest on trial in Waco, Texas, accused of sexual abuse linked to his priestly role.
- Prosecutors said Odiong fathered a child around 2020-2023 with a Louisiana woman named Presley Jones, whom he met while working as a priest near New Orleans.
- Police collected DNA samples from Odiong, Presley Jones, and her daughter to confirm paternity.
- Odiong is not charged for any crime related to Presley Jones but the existence of the child is used to show a pattern of sexual exploitation.
- Another woman, using the name Mary Doe, testified that Odiong sexually abused her over several years after offering her spiritual counseling.
- Mary Doe met Odiong at Baylor University while going through a difficult divorce and having custody of seven children.
- Their sexual relationship ended in 2011 when her teenage son discovered them together.
- The trial is taking place in a Waco state court with Judge Thomas West presiding.
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