SOUTHLAKE, Texas (BN24) — Robert Preston Morris, the influential founder of a Texas megachurch who stepped down last year after being accused of sexual abuse, pleaded guilty on Thursday to multiple counts of child sex abuse stemming from incidents that began more than four decades ago.
Morris, 64, admitted to five counts of lewd and indecent acts with a child in an Osage County, Oklahoma, courtroom, according to the state attorney general’s office. His plea came as part of an agreement with prosecutors.
Authorities said the abuse began in 1982, when the victim was just 12 years old. Morris, then a traveling evangelist, was staying with her family in Hominy, Oklahoma. Over the next four years, the abuse continued while Morris maintained contact with the family, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a statement.
Under the plea deal, Morris was sentenced to a 10-year suspended term, with the first six months to be served in Osage County Jail. He appeared in court wearing a suit and handcuffs and was escorted out by two sheriff’s deputies. He will be required to register as a sex offender and will be supervised by Texas authorities under an interstate compact.
The victim, Cindy Clemishire, now 55, came forward publicly to share her story. In a statement, she said justice had “finally been served.”
“The man who manipulated, groomed and abused me as a 12-year-old innocent girl is finally going to be behind bars,” Clemishire said. “My hope is that many victims hear my story, and it can help lift their shame and allow them to speak up.”
She urged lawmakers to strengthen protections for children and survivors of sexual abuse, adding that “the only way to stop child sexual abuse is to speak up when it happens or is suspected.”
Morris must pay the costs of his incarceration, including medical expenses, as well as restitution to Clemishire.
His attorney, Bill Mateja, said Morris wanted to take legal responsibility for his actions and bring the case to a close for all parties involved.
“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.
Morris also expressed a desire to apologize to Clemishire and her family and asked for forgiveness.
When the allegations first surfaced last year, Morris told The Christian Post that while in his early 20s, he was involved in what he described as “inappropriate sexual behavior” with a “young lady” in a home where he was staying. He acknowledged the misconduct, calling it “kissing and petting, not intercourse, but it was wrong.”
Morris founded Gateway Church in 2000 in Southlake, a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth. Under his leadership, the church grew into one of the largest evangelical congregations in the United States, with tens of thousands of members and significant political influence. He previously served on President Donald Trump’s evangelical advisory board, and Gateway hosted Trump in 2020 for a discussion on race relations and the economy.
The church declined to comment on Thursday’s plea.
Oklahoma Attorney General Drummond said the case underscores the severity of child sexual abuse, especially when committed by trusted religious leaders.
“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.”
The plea was entered before Osage County District Special Judge Cindy Pickerill.
Morris was indicted earlier this year by an Oklahoma grand jury, decades after the abuse took place. His guilty plea represents a dramatic fall for a pastor once regarded as one of the most prominent figures in American evangelical circles.
