5 days ago
A assemblage of 8 women and 4 men successful Texas began deliberating a verdict connected Friday day successful nan proceedings of a Roman Catholic leader charged pinch illegally exploiting his position arsenic a clergyman to prosecute activity pinch female parishioners to whom he was providing belief direction.
Anthony Odiong, 57, has pleaded not blameworthy to 1 complaint of intersexual battle successful nan first grade and 2 specified counts successful nan 2nd grade involving 2 women, each of whom testified during a proceedings that began pinch assemblage action connected Tuesday successful nan Texas metropolis of Waco.
He could look life imprisonment if convicted of nan first-degree charge. A condemnation connected nan second-degree charges could transportation betwixt 2 and 20 years successful prison.
Odiong had initially been charged pinch first-degree intersexual battle of a 3rd woman. But prosecutors Ryan Calvert and Liz Buice dismissed that facet of nan lawsuit aft nan female – said to beryllium successful an “extremely emotionally fragile” authorities – grounded to show up to her expected quality connected nan witnesser stand. And nan prosecution opted against fundamentally search her down and arresting her to guarantee she appeared successful court, citing her “extremely tenuous” affectional condition.
The lawsuit against Odiong came aft a Guardian article successful February 2024 reported connected a group of women who accused nan leader of intersexual coercion, unwanted rubbing and abusive financial power successful his capacity arsenic a Catholic clergyman, including successful and astir Waco arsenic good arsenic a later duty successful nan New Orleans suburb of Luling, Louisiana.
Texas considers specified behaviour by a belief cleric successful peculiar to beryllium felony intersexual assault. And 1 of nan women whom he was yet charged successful relationship pinch – who chose nan pseudonym Mary Doe – brought a transcript of that Guardian article to Waco constabulary and accused Odiong of having assaulted her successful that mode successful their jurisdiction complete nan people of 3 years opening successful 2008.
An ensuing constabulary investigation recovered a 2nd female whom Odiong was yet charged pinch assaulting astir that era while he worked successful and astir Waco, who adopted nan pseudonym Jane Doe and had spoken to nan Guardian for its February 2024 piece. It besides produced a ample capable number of further Odiong accusers who met nan ineligible modular of probable origin to spend Waco authorities nan chance to apprehension and formally complaint him without respect for really agelong agone nan crimes against Mary Doe and Jane Doe were said to person taken place.
Jurors heard Mary Doe attest to really Odiong commenced a yearslong intersexual narration pinch her arsenic he provided her belief guidance amid a tumultuous divorcement that near her pinch superior custody of 7 children. In time, Mary Doe’s boy walked successful connected her and Odiong having intercourse successful her chamber aft a family party, she and her kid testified during nan trial.
Meanwhile, Jane Doe testified that she besides submitted to belief guidance from Odiong while successful an abusive marriage. She said he compelled her to let her past hubby to prosecute successful a shape of intercourse which she recovered overly achy arsenic a hopeless measurement to prevention her matrimony – and to past convey specifications astir nan brushwood to Odiong.
Prosecutors maintained that legally qualified arsenic battle by Odiong, moreover if nan intercourse did not straight impact him.
Both Mary Doe and Jane Doe testified to gathering Odiong while he was a leader astatine Waco’s St Peter Catholic Center, which was attended by Baylor University students and employees. Mary Doe and Jane Doe’s past husbands each worked astatine Baylor, putting them successful proximity to nan religion and Odiong.
Furthermore, jurors heard astir really Waco constabulary investigators obtained DNA grounds establishing that Odiong successful nan outpouring of 2023 had fathered a kid pinch a woman, assigned nan pseudonym Presley Jones, to whom he provided belief guidance while he was nan pastor of St Anthony of Padua religion successful Luling.
Odiong is not accused of a crime against Jones because Louisiana does not person a rule for illustration nan 1 nether which he was prosecuted successful Texas.
Nonetheless, authorities maintained that nan girl of Jones and Odiong is living, breathing impervious of his shape of pursuing activity pinch female parishioners whom he met done his clerical work.
Jurors heard master grounds that it is clergymen’s work – not those nether their belief guidance – to sphere boundaries, including Catholic priests’ committedness to beryllium sexually celibate.
Odiong’s attorneys, Gerald Villarial and Carolina Truesdale, connected Friday called conscionable 1 witnesser to attest to nan erstwhile priest’s character. The witness, a erstwhile parishioner, testified concisely astir attending nan 2011 statement that Odiong attended astatine Mary Doe’s location – and connected cross-examination admitted that nan erstwhile priest’s actions did not unrecorded up to expectations of a religion leader.
“Did you cognize that Father Anthony was really begetter Anthony,” Calvert said, alluding to nan truth that he was a begetter successful nan biologic sense.
“Just what I publication successful nan paper,” nan witnesser said. “Yes.”
A 2nd witnesser was subpoenaed by defense attorneys but did not look astatine nan courthouse aliases connected Zoom. After astir an hr of waiting, Judge Thomas West ordered section sheriff’s deputies to efficaciously apprehension nan man and unit him to testify. Still, aft a luncheon break, nan defense chose not to telephone nan 2nd witnesser to nan stand.
In closing arguments, Truesdale and Villarial attempted to formed uncertainty connected nan credibility of nan women Odiong is accused of assaulting. Truesdale many times called it a “dating relationship”.
“Is this man a cult leader? Did this man put them successful a compound?” Truesdale said. “There is simply a work connected nan women arsenic well.”
In his ain closing arguments, Calvert pushed backmost against that characterization of Odiong’s intersexual acts.
“This wasn’t a feline who fell successful love, these weren’t star-crossed lovers. This was a pattern. This was deliberate,” Calvert said. “His limb was faith. Devout faith. Sincere faith.”
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Information and support for anyone affected by rape aliases intersexual maltreatment issues is disposable from nan pursuing organizations. In nan US, Rainn offers support connected 800-656-4673. In nan UK, Rape Crisis offers support connected 0808 500 2222. In Australia, support is disposable astatine 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other world helplines tin beryllium recovered astatine ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html
