Robert Morris, founder and former pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, and previous adviser to President Donald Trump, was indicted on five felony counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child. The charges relate to alleged child sexual abuse he committed against Cindy Clemishire in the 1980s.
Morris resigned from Gateway Church last June, shortly after Clemishire alleged the abuse publicly. His son’s resignation as a pastor followed soon after.
The indictment alleges Morris committed felonious acts of child sexual abuse against Clemishire beginning on or around Christmas Day 1982, when he visited her family while working as a traveling evangelist. She was 12 years old at the time.
Robert Morris
The counts, which span about four years, represent different instances of alleged abuse against Clemishire, including times in which the two were alone in a parked vehicle and he attempted to have sex with her.
Initially, it was believed Morris could not be charged now due to statute of limitations laws in Oklahoma, where the alleged abuse occurred. However, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said this was incorrect in a Wednesday news release, as “Morris was not a resident or inhabitant of Oklahoma at any time.”
“There can be no tolerance for those who sexually prey on children,” Drummond said. “This case is all the more despicable because the alleged perpetrator was a pastor who exploited his position. The victim in this case has waited far too many years for justice to be done.”
While there have been questions about the legal process related to Clemishire’s allegations against Morris, there has been little controversy about their truthfulness.
In fact, shortly after her initial allegations, Morris publicly admitted to “inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady.” He further explained, “It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong. This behavior happened on several occasions over the next few years.”
Morris claims that in March of 1987, he “confessed and repented” of the abuse, saying, “I submitted myself to the elders of Shady Grove Church and the young lady’s father. They asked me to step out of ministry and receive counseling and freedom ministry. … Since that time, I have walked in purity and accountability.”
Despite this documentation of abuse, he returned to ministry two years later, in 1989, claiming Clemishire and her family had forgiven him. Clemishire tells a different story, however.
“I was a little girl. A very innocent little girl.”
In a recent interview with Christian Post, she “made it clear that Morris did not get her father’s blessing to return to ministry.” Clemishire explained, “Of course, we forgive because we are called to biblically forgive those who sin against us. But that does not mean he is supposed to go on without repercussions.”
She also says she was “appalled” at his description of her 12-year-old self as a “young lady.”
“I was a little girl. A very innocent little girl.”
Although there was no “sexual intercourse,” per se, “he did touch every part of my body and inserted his fingers into me. … I was an innocent 12-year-old little girl who knew nothing about sexual behavior.”
Clemishire says she spent years trying to comprehend what happened to her.
And although Morris seems to have confessed to his crimes not long after they ended, she claims he would lie to his wife, saying he was “counseling” her during instances of abuse. In turn, he warned Clemishire to “never tell anyone about this because it will ruin everything.”
In 2005, Clemishire attempted to file a civil lawsuit against Morris, asking for $50,000 to cover the cost of counseling she needed to recover from the alleged abuse. However, Morris’ attorney at the time claimed she brought the abuse upon herself by being “flirtatious” and offered her half the requested money if she signed a nondisclosure agreement. She refused this offer.
Since then, Clemishire has been warning churches and pastors about Morris to prevent further instances of sexual abuse and believes there may be more survivors.