In brief
Robert Preston Morris, former founder of Gateway Church, was released from Oklahoma jail after serving six months for the sexual abuse of a child in the 1980s. Morris's case has reopened discussions about accountability for individuals in positions of power and the protection of survivors. Victim Cindy Clemishire expresses her resolve to seek further justice in civil courts. Morris has been ordered to register as a sex offender and faces nearly a decade of probation.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The founder of a Texas megachurch who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a child in the 1980s was released Tuesday after serving six months in an Oklahoma jail.
Robert Preston Morris, 64, was released just after midnight, according to Osage County Sheriff’s Capt. Matt Clark.
Morris pleaded guilty last year to five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child as part of a plea agreement that included a 10-year suspended sentence, with the initial six months served in the Osage County Jail.
He committed the abuse in 1982 when the victim was only 12 years old and he was a traveling evangelist in Hominy, Oklahoma, as reported by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who oversaw the prosecution of the case.
Previously, Morris was the senior pastor at Gateway Church located in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Southlake, leading one of the nation’s largest megachurches until June 2024 when he stepped down amidst allegations. He was indicted last year by an Oklahoma grand jury.
Morris is required to register as a sex offender and will be monitored by Texas authorities through an interstate compact. He is also responsible for his incarceration costs, including medical expenses, and must pay restitution to the victim.
The victim, Cindy Clemishire, now in her 50s, has spoken publicly about her experience, stating previously that justice has finally been served for the decades of abuse she endured. The Associated Press typically does not publish the names of sexual assault victims unless they come forward voluntarily, as Clemishire has.
Jeff Leach, attorney for Clemishire, expressed relief over Morris's continued probation and lifetime registration as a sex offender. He noted that Clemishire intends to pursue further justice in civil court against all those who may have supported or protected Morris.
Morris issued an apology through his attorney, acknowledging the wrongs committed decades ago, expressing gratitude for Clemishire's bravery in coming forward.
Gateway Church was founded by Morris in 2000, and he has been politically active, even serving on President Donald Trump’s evangelical advisory board and hosting Trump at the church in 2020 for discussions on race and the economy.
