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crime14h ago
Texas jury to consider sentence for Catholic priest convicted of sexual assault
- Texas jurors began deliberating the sentencing phase for Anthony Odiong after a guilty verdict on two counts of sexual assault.
- Odiong, 57, faces five years to life for first-degree sexual assault and two to 20 years for second-degree charges.
- Witnesses described a pattern of misconduct spanning more than a decade during the sentencing phase.
- Prosecutors argued the assaults used Odiong’s spiritual authority to coerce victims.
- Defense supporters testified Odiong followed probation rules and was compassionate toward parishioners.
- The case raised questions about church handling of misconduct, with prior suspensions noted by witnesses.
- Odiong’s sentencing could be influenced by whether his alleged conduct violated clergy vows and parishioner trust.
- The sentencing phase included testimony about financial and personal implications, such as jail calls.
- Odiong was ordained in Nigeria in 1993 and naturalized as a U.S. citizen.
- Jurors weighed how much Odiong’s conduct reflected on the church’s accountability measures.
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