Large Church Pastor and FormerTrump Adviser Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Minor
The founder of one of the largest large congregations in the United States, Robert Morris, has admitted guilt to molesting a young girl in the state of Oklahoma during the 1980s period.
The pastor, 64, pleaded guilty on Thursday in the local court on multiple charges of inappropriate acts with a child. He was sentenced to 10 years in custody, but under an agreement will serve only half a year in local jail.
He will be listed as a registered offender and be required to pay a quarter million dollars in restitution.
Context of the Legal Matter
The former minister founded Gateway church in Southlake, Texas. He expanded it into one of the top 10 largest megachurches in the United States, with more than 25,000 attendees each week.
Cindy Clemishire, 55, the woman who came forward as the survivor of the abuse, was there in court as he admitted his guilt. In a written declaration she stated: “It is impossible to have agreement from a child of twelve. We were never in an ‘inappropriate relationship’. I was not a young woman but a minor. You committed a crime against me.”
Her sister a family member also read a statement, saying: “You acted as if you were righteous, preaching from large platforms. As you concealed your true self, we’ve been aware you are simply a predator.”
Morris resigned from the congregation the previous year after Clemishire made her story known. She had spent years seeking justice for the abuse.
Specifics of the Incidents
The molestation started in the year 1982 when the pastor, at age twenty-one, was a itinerant preacher. He was a guest of the family in their home, where he asked the child into his bedroom.
The molestation persisted for the following four years.
A revealed recording of a conversation showed that in 2005, the pastor tried to bribe the victim into silence, saying to her to “name your price”.
Fall from Grace and Associations
Morris’s conviction signals a dramatic downfall for the pastor. At his peak, he authored several bestselling books and his teachings were transmitted globally.
He also served as a spiritual adviser to the former president. He joined the presidential advisory group during the initial Trump administration and was part of a campaign to mobilize evangelical voters for him in the recent election.
The former president also visited the church in 2020 where he commended the pastor and his senior team as “wonderful individuals with a stellar reputation”.
