WACO, Texas — The Waco Police Department is seeking information from victims who may have been sexually or intimately assaulted by a Catholic priest who was arrested and discovered with child pornography in Florida, according to police.
In March, Waco Police received information that tied Fr. Anthony Odiong, who no longer lives in the area, to a sexual assault that took place in 2012. He was arrested on Tuesday, July 16 in Ave Maria, Florida by the Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force with the help of the U.S. Marshals Service after it was revealed he was in possession of child pornography.
As the investigation progressed, it was revealed that there were other victims in the case. According to Waco PD, multiple women came forward to tell their experiences after the first victim spoke out about being sexually assaulted, groped or even financially exploited by Odiong.
Below is a statement released by Camille Garcia, Secretariat Director Communications and IT
Diocese of Austin.
The statement was released on Saturday, July 20.
The Diocese of Austin has learned that Reverend Anthony Odiong, a priest of the Diocese of Uyo, Nigeria, who served in the Waco area from 2006-2012, was arrested in Ave Maria, Florida. We stand ready to fully cooperate with law enforcement regarding this case. The Diocese of Austin remains committed to its Safe Environment Program and encourages anyone with additional information regarding Fr. Odiong to report it directly to the Waco police department.
Fr. Odiong served at St. Mary, Church of the Assumption, in West and St. Peter Catholic Student Center in Waco from 2006 to 2012. Since Fr. Odiong’s conclusion of service in the Diocese of Austin in 2012, he has not had authorization to minister as a priest within the twenty-five county area comprising the Diocese of Austin. Fr. Odiong’s bishop recalled him back to the Diocese of Uyo in writing in March of 2024.
In 2019, the Diocese of Austin sent written communication to Fr. Odiong confirming that he did not have authorization to engage in priestly ministry in the Diocese of Austin, even on a temporary basis. This determination was based on complaints that the diocese had received regarding Fr. Odiong’s behavior with adult women, as well as his failure to follow the protocol for visiting clergy to present a testimonial of suitability for ministry from his Bishop. That written communication was also sent to the Archdiocese of New Orleans and to his own Bishop in Uyo. Upon receiving ongoing reports of Fr. Odiong’s presence and attempts to exercise priestly ministry in the Diocese of Austin, follow-up communication of the same nature was given at St. Peter and St. Mary, both in December of 2023 and February of 2024.
We reiterate our sadness regarding this painful situation and continue to ask for God’s healing grace upon all involved.
Odiong is currently in custody in the Collier County Jail in Florida waiting to be moved to another facility.
Odiong's ties to McLennan County include his time as a priest at St. Peters Catholic Student Center in Waco and St. Mary's of the Assumption in West. He served at the two parishes from 2007 to 2012. Police say Odiong also served in Luling, Louisiana from around 2015 to 2023.
Waco Police say they are seeking stories from victims not just in McLennan County, but wherever in the U.S. Odiong may have caused harm for others.
Those who wish to come forward can contact Detective Bradley DeLange at 254-750-7609. Police say they are ready to assist the survivors who wish to come forward, and can do so without being publicly identified or having to go to court, if preferred.
Law firm Callahan & King has announced that they plan to go forward with legal action against Odiong and the Catholic Diocese of Austin on behalf of a survivor. The firm says the allegations against Odiong involve four women stretching back as far as 2007.
"As proponents of justice, we affirm our commitments to ensuring that no clergy abuse survivor's voice goes unheard. It takes great courage to step forward and we extend an earnest invitation to any individual who may have been affected by the criminal conduct of Odiong, and by the Austin Diocese's damaging response, to join us in our pursuit of justice," the firm said. "We stand ready to provide comprehensive legal representation and unwavering support to survivors--regardless of age, faith, gender, or orientation--throughout every step of their journey towards healing and resolution."
Back in April, Odiong posted the following on Facebook:
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