Former pastor Robert Morris has been indicted on five counts of child sexual abuse in Oklahoma, the state’s attorney general’s office announced Wednesday.

Morris, 63, who resigned last year from Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, after accusations surfaced, faces charges related to alleged abuse that occurred in the 1980s.

The indictment alleges the abuse began in 1982 when the female victim was 12 years old and Morris was a traveling evangelist staying with her family in Hominy, Oklahoma. The abuse allegedly continued for four years.

Morris is charged with five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child.

Cindy Clemishire, the now-55-year-old woman who accuses Morris, expressed her gratitude for the authorities' work leading to the indictment.

“After almost 43 years, the law has finally caught up with Robert Morris for the horrific crimes he committed against me as a child,” Clemishire said in a statement. “Now, it is time for the legal system to hold him accountable.”

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond condemned the alleged actions, emphasising the violation of trust given Morris’s position as a pastor.

“There can be no tolerance for those who sexually prey on children,” Drummond said. “The victim in this case has waited far too many years for justice to be done.”

Drummond added that the statute of limitations was not applicable in the case because Morris was not a resident or inhabitant of Oklahoma at any time.

Gateway Church, which Morris founded in 2000, issued a statement expressing support for Clemishire and others affected by the situation.

“We are aware of the actions being taken by the legal authorities in Oklahoma and are grateful for the work of the justice system in holding abusers accountable,” the church said. 

Morris’s church was among the largest in the US, with multiple locations across the Dallas area.

The charges carry potential sentences of up to 20 years in prison for each count.

Morris was not in custody as of Wednesday.