![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")
The audio of the conversations between the match officials involved in the VAR controversy at Tottenham on Saturday has been supplied to Liverpool.
Liverpool made a formal request to PGMOL for the audio on Monday and asked to hear the conversations, which took place in full.
Liverpool has now received the footage from the PGMOL, and the team is reviewing it.
It is unclear when the audio will be publicly released.
But the PGMOL has not ruled out releasing the audio around the incident before the next edition of Mic’d Up, the organisation’s new monthly programme broadcast on Sky Sports that includes previously unheard audio from decisions between on-field officials and the VAR team.
The PGMOL admitted immediately after Tottenham’s 2-1 win that “a significant human error occurred” when Diaz’s strike was ruled out, adding: “This was a clear and obvious factual error and should have resulted in the goal being awarded through VAR intervention.”
The goal was ruled out when VAR official Darren England mistakenly believed Diaz’s goal was initially allowed to stand and told on-field referee Simon Hooper his check was complete.
Both England and his assistant VAR, Dan Cook, have been removed from matchday duties for this week.
In a statement released on Sunday night, Liverpool said “It is clear that the correct application of the laws of the game did not occur, resulting in sporting integrity being undermined”.
There is a big push for the remit of PGMOL’s review to not solely be restricted to the VAR failings themselves and how they happened, but to examine the appointment process of the officials given that three of them—two central to the blunder—worked in the UAE 48 hours before the game.
The club added: “It is therefore unsatisfactory that sufficient time was not afforded to allow the correct decision to be made and that there was no subsequent intervention.
“In the meantime, we will explore the range of options available, given the clear need for escalation and resolution.”
