Texas megachurch founder Robert Preston Morris was sentenced after pleading guilty to child sexual abuse charges on Thursday, the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office announced.
The big picture: The 64-year-old founder of the Gateway Church in the Dallas suburb of Southlake pleaded guilty to five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child in Osage County Courthouse in Pawhuska, Okla., per a statement from the state AG's office.
- Morris received a 10-year suspended sentence, with the first six months to be served in jail.
Context: The charges relate to abuse that began in 1982 of a 12-year-old girl, identified as Cindy Clemishire, when Morris was a traveling evangelist visiting the family of the victim in Hominy, Okla., according to the AG's office.
What they're saying: "Today justice has finally been served, and the man who manipulated, groomed and abused me as a 12-year-old innocent girl is finally going to be behind bars," Clemishire said in a statement shared by the AG's office.
- "My hope is that many victims hear my story, and it can help lift their shame and allow them to speak up," she added.
- "I hope that laws continue to change and new ones are written so children and victims' rights are better protected. I hope that people understand the only way to stop child sexual abuse is to speak up when it happens or is suspected."
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a statement that this case "is all the more despicable because the perpetrator was a pastor who exploited his position of trust and authority" and the abuse survivor "has waited far too many years for this day."
Morris "sincerely apologizes" for his offending and asks for the forgiveness of Clemishire and her family, his lawyer said in a statement, per the New York Times.
Zoom out: Morris founded the Gateway Church that now has some 100,000 attendees in 2000.
- He went on to serve on President Trump's evangelical advisory board during the Republican leader's first term and hosted Trump at Gateway Church in 2020.
- A Trump spokesperson emphasized to the New York Times after the charges emerged that Morris was not involved in the 2024 campaign.
What's next: Morris must "register as a sex offender and will be supervised by Texas authorities via interstate compact," according to the AG's office.
- "Morris was also ordered to pay his costs of incarceration, including any medical expenses, and restitution to the victim."
