![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")
For the first time since 2004-05, neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo will see their teams involved in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Barcelona were eliminated at the last-16 stage by PSG, who drew 1-1 against the Spanish side on Wednesday to seal a 5-2 aggregate triumph.
The day before Porto stunned Juventus and Ronaldo, advancing after a thrilling extra-time battle in the second leg in Turin.
The last time both superstars missed the last eight of the competition, Barcelona was eliminated by Chelsea in the last 16.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, was with Manchester United at the time, with the Red Devils also going out in the round of 16 against AC Milan.
Overall, Ronaldo has won the Champions League five times, while Messi has won the competition on four occasions – most recently in 2014-15.
In addition to both players ending a long streak of reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League, Barcelona also saw a long stretch of reaching the last eight come to an end on Wednesday.
With their elimination at the hands of PSG, Barcelona failed to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2006-07, when they were eliminated by Liverpool in the last 16.
The Blaugrana were on a run of 13 consecutive quarter-final appearances, the longest such streak in the competition’s history.
With Messi at age 33 and Ronaldo now 36, there has been plenty of speculation that the era of both players dominating the European scene has ended.
This season’s Champions League has seen two players, in particular, emerge as potential successors to the dominating duo.
Kylian Mbappe, whose PSG side defeated Barca, scored four goals over the two-leg tie, breaking Messi’s record as the youngest player to reach 25 Champions League goals in the process.
Erling Haaland also scored four goals in Dortmund’s last-16 tie against Sevilla, with the 20-year-old phenom becoming the youngest player to reach 20 Champions League goals.
