Robert Morris, the founder and pastor of Gateway Church, one of the largest megachurches in the United States, had some pretty damning charges leveled against him. On Thursday, he admitted to sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in Oklahoma during the 1980s. He entered his plea during an arraignment at the Osage County District Court. He has been charged with five criminal counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child. When the abuse started in 1982, Morris was only 21 years old. He went on to sexually assault the victim for an additional four years.
Cindy Clemishire, who courageously came forward as Morris’s victim, sat in the audience during the hearing. She listened closely as he changed his guilty plea to guilty. Clemishire’s childhood was riven by the trauma of the abuse she suffered. Her disclosure of the charges last year led to a huge public outcry. Morris’ resignation from his post at Gateway Church followed these revelations. He started the church in Southlake, Texas, that today draws more than 25,000 people weekly.
According to plea agreement terms, Morris will be required to register as a sex offender. He was ordered to pay Clemishire $250,000 in restitution. While he was sentenced for 10 years, he will only spend six months in jail, which will be in county jail instead of state prison. This leniency has caused an outcry from advocates for survivors of sexual abuse.
In an apparently leaked transcript from 2005, Morris crudely attempted to buy Clemishire’s silence. He pushed her to “put a price on it.” This shocking surprise made a marred legacy even more marred, and his influence lived on. Clemishire expressed her pain during the court proceedings, stating, “There is no such thing as consent from a 12-year-old child. We were never in an ‘inappropriate relationship.’ I was not a ‘young lady’ but a child. You committed a crime against me.”
Morris’s impact reached far beyond church congregations. He was known for his connections to former President Donald Trump. In 2020, then President Trump visited here. He lauded Morris and his senior team, describing them as “great people with a great reputation.” This expensive connection further complicated the public’s impression of Morris as the allegations began to pour in.
Karen Black, Clemishire’s sister, spoke directly to Morris during Tuesday’s court appearance. She rebuked him for his behavior, but for the front he kept up during his ministry.
“You pretended to be holy, preaching from big pulpits. As you hid behind your facade, we’ve known you are nothing but a predator.” – Karen Black