Texas megachurch founder Robert Morris pleads guilty to child sex abuse charges
Share this @internewscast.com

The founder of a Texas megachurch, who stepped down last year following accusations from a woman in Oklahoma about sexual abuse during the 1980s, pleaded guilty on Thursday to five counts of lewd and indecent acts with a minor, authorities reported.

Robert Preston Morris, 64, submitted his pleas to a judge in Osage County, Oklahoma, as part of a plea deal, as noted by the state attorney general’s office.

The abuse reportedly started in 1982 when the victim was 12 years old, and Morris was a traveling evangelist residing with her family in Hominy, Oklahoma. This misconduct continued for four years, as detailed in a statement from Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond.

Morris previously served as the senior pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth, where he led one of the country’s largest megachurches until resigning. He was charged earlier this year by an Oklahoma grand jury. Under the terms of his plea deal, Morris received a 10-year suspended sentence, with the first six months to be spent in the Osage County Jail.

Morris was handcuffed and wearing a suit as he was escorted out of court on Thursday by two sheriff’s deputies.

The victim, Cindy Clemishire, now 55, expressed in a statement that “justice has finally been served, and the man who manipulated, groomed, and abused me as a 12-year-old innocent girl is finally going to be behind bars.” The Associated Press generally does not reveal the identities of individuals claiming sexual assault unless they choose to come forward, as Clemishire has.

“I hope my story inspires other victims to shed their shame and come forward,” she stated. “I wish for laws to evolve further so that children and victims’ rights receive better protection. It is crucial that we speak out when we witness or suspect child sexual abuse, as that’s the only way to halt it.”

Morris must register as a sex offender and will be supervised by Texas authorities via interstate compact. He also was ordered to pay his costs of incarceration, including any medical expenses, and restitution to the victim.

One of Morris’ attorneys, Bill Mateja, said Morris wanted to accept responsibility for his conduct, and wanted to bring the legal matter to an end for the sake of him and his family and Clemishire and her family.

“While he believes that he long since accepted responsibility in the eyes of God and that Gateway Church was a manifestation of that acceptance, he readily accepted responsibility in the eyes of the law,” Mateja said.

Mateja said Morris wanted to apologize to Clemishire and her family for his conduct and asked for forgiveness.

When asked about the allegations last year by The Christian Post, Morris said in a statement to the publication that when he was in his early 20s he was “involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying.” He said it was “kissing and petting, not intercourse, but it was wrong.”

Gateway Church was founded by Morris in 2000. He has been politically active and formerly served on President Donald Trump’s evangelical advisory board. The church hosted Trump on its Dallas campus in 2020 for a discussion on race relations and the economy.

Gateway Church declined to comment Thursday.

The pleas were entered before Osage County District Special Judge Cindy Pickerill.

“There can be no tolerance for those who sexually prey on children,” Drummond said. “This case is all the more despicable because the perpetrator was a pastor who exploited his position of trust and authority. The victim in this case has waited far too many years for this day.”

____

This story has been corrected to say that Robert Morris was indicted earlier this year, not last year.

____

Associated Press journalist John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, contributed to this report.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Neutrogena makeup remover wipes recalled over bacterial contamination

Neutrogena Recalls Makeup Wipes Due to Bacterial Contamination Concerns

More than 1,300 cases of makeup remover wipes distributed across four states…
East Chatham, Chicago man billed thousands for ambulance after alleged electric bike crash along S. Cottage Grove Ave.

Shocking Ambulance Bill: East Chatham Man Faces Thousands in Charges After E-Bike Crash on S. Cottage Grove Ave

In a surprising turn of events on Chicago’s South Side, a local…
Palisades Fire suspect has courtroom outburst while pleading not guilty at arraignment

Suspect in Palisades Fire Case Disrupts Courtroom During Not Guilty Plea

The man accused of igniting what authorities have called “one of the…
United States Department of Justice appealing dismissal of sanctuary city policy lawsuit against Illinois, Cook County, Chicago

U.S. Department of Justice to Challenge Dismissal of Sanctuary City Policy Lawsuit Against Illinois, Cook County, and Chicago

The U.S. Department of Justice is challenging a court decision concerning a…
Vermont police search for student who vanished from Middlebury College

Tragic Discovery: Missing Vermont Student Lia Smith’s Body Found Near Middlebury Campus

During the search for a missing Vermont college student, a body has…
Expert warns critical hours slipping away as kidnappers likely to move US missionary in Niger

Urgent Countdown: US Missionary’s Fate Hangs in Balance as Kidnappers Prepare to Relocate in Niger

A security specialist has highlighted the urgency of the initial 48 hours…
Colts cheerleader uses sign language to converse with deaf fan at his first game

Heartwarming Moment: Colts Cheerleader Bridges the Gap with Sign Language at Deaf Fan’s First Game

Colts cheerleader Morgan McLain, who studied American Sign Language (ASL) as a…
Trump Team Eviscerates Schumer After He Tries to Deceive American People About Ballroom

Trump’s Team Criticizes Schumer’s Alleged Misrepresentation of Ballroom Details to the Public

How disconnected have the Democrats become? They’re prioritizing the protection of undocumented…
Illegal immigrant truck driver in fatal California crash should never have had license: DOT report

DOT Report Reveals Fatal California Crash Involved Unlicensed Immigrant Truck Driver

In a striking report released on Thursday night, Sean P. Duffy, the…
US says it now plans to deport Abrego Garcia to Liberia as soon as Oct. 31

U.S. Set to Deport Abrego Garcia to Liberia by October 31: Immigration Update

In the latest chapter of a contentious legal saga, the U.S. government…
Minneapolis church shooting victim released from hospital after miraculous recovery

Miraculous Recovery: Minneapolis Church Shooting Survivor Triumphs with Hospital Release

Amidst applause and heartfelt cheers, Sophia Forchas made her triumphant exit from…
Pakistani national sentenced to long prison term for smuggling Iranian weapons to Houthis

Pakistani Citizen Receives Lengthy Prison Sentence for Trafficking Iranian Weapons to Houthis

A Pakistani man has been handed a 40-year federal prison sentence for…