Megachurch Pastor and FormerTrump Adviser Admits Guilt to Child Sexual Abuse
The founder of among the biggest megachurches in the United States, Robert Morris, has admitted guilt to sexually abusing a young girl in Oklahoma during the 1980s.
The pastor, sixty-four, entered a guilty plea on that day in Osage county district court on five criminal counts of inappropriate acts with a minor. He was sentenced to a decade in prison, but as part of a plea deal will serve only six months in county jail.
He will be listed as a sex offender and pay a quarter million dollars in compensation.
Context of the Case
The former minister founded Gateway church in Southlake, the state of Texas. He expanded it into one of the top 10 largest megachurches in the United States, with more than 25,000 visitors weekly.
Cindy Clemishire, 55, the woman who came forward as the survivor of the abuse, was present in the courtroom as he admitted his guilt. In a prepared statement she stated: “There is no such thing as agreement from a child of twelve. We were never in an ‘inappropriate relationship’. I was not a young woman but a child. You performed a criminal act against me.”
Her sibling a family member also read a statement, saying: “You pretended to be holy, preaching from big pulpits. As you concealed your true self, we’ve been aware you are simply a predator.”
The pastor resigned from the church last year after Clemishire made her story known. She had devoted many years seeking justice for the abuse.
Details of the Abuse
The molestation started in 1982 when the pastor, then 21, was a travelling evangelist. He stayed with Clemishire’s family in their home, where he asked the girl into his bedroom.
The abuse persisted for the next four-year period.
A revealed recording of a conversation revealed that in 2005, the pastor attempted to pay off the victim into not speaking out, saying to her to “name your price”.
Downfall and Associations
Morris’s conviction marks a remarkable fall for the minister. At his height, he authored several bestselling books and his teachings were transmitted globally.
He also became a spiritual adviser to Donald Trump. He was part of the presidential advisory group during the first Trump presidency and was involved in an effort to mobilize evangelical voters for him in the recent election.
Trump also attended Gateway church in 2020 where he commended Morris and his leadership as “wonderful individuals with a stellar reputation”.