![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-300x200.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
Xabi Alonso is an incredible talent from the new generation of managers, given his impressive run at Bayer Leverkusen, soon-to-depart Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said.
The former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder has been linked to the upcoming opening at Anfield after Klopp announced last month that he would step down at the end of the season.
Alonso guided Leverkusen from near the bottom of the Bundesliga to a five-point lead at the top within 16 months. The 42-year-old coach secured a spot in the German Cup semi-finals and notably defeated serial champions Bayern Munich 3-0 last weekend.
“Xabi is doing an incredible job,” Klopp said on Friday.
“If you had asked me eight weeks ago about Xabi Alonso, I would have gone, ‘Oh my God!’ Always what I said, the dinosaurs if you want, Ancelotti (Carlo), Mourinho (Jose), Guardiola (Pep), maybe me, we will not do it—okay, maybe Mourinho—but all the rest will not do it for the next 20 years.
“The next generation is already there, and I would say Xabi is a standout in that department… A former world-class player from a coaching family as well, which helps a little, he was like a coach already when he was playing. The football he is playing, the teams he sets up, and the transfers he made are absolutely exceptional.”
Klopp added that he is not involved in the search for his successor, as that is to be decided by the owners of the Merseyside club.
The 56-year-old, who has had his fair share of achievements in the German league from his time at Borussia Dortmund, praised Alonso‘s immediate but potent implementation of strategies despite only taking on the role in October 2022.
“How quick his team is that well tuned; for the time it’s taken, he’s put his proper stamp on it,” Klopp added.
