Former Gateway Church pastor Robert Morris has pleaded guilty to five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, relating to incidents that date back to the 1980s.
Osage County District Special Judge Cindy Pickerill sentenced Morris, 64, to a 10-year suspended sentence, with the first six months to be served in Osage County Jail.
Under the plea agreement, Morris must register as a sex offender and will be supervised by Texas authorities via the interstate compact. The judge also ordered him to cover the costs of his incarceration, including medical expenses and restitution to the victim, according to a news release obtained by Premier Christian News.
Morris founded one of the largest megachurches in the United States in 2000 and once served as an evangelical adviser to President Donald Trump.
Gateway Church has around 100,000 active attendees and nine campuses in Texas, Wyoming and Missouri. He resigned as senior pastor last summer following allegations of sexual abuse that began in December 1982, when Morris was working as a travelling evangelist. The victim was reportedly 12 years old at the time, and the abuse continued for a further four years.
Victim Cindy Clemishire said she was thankful that justice had finally been served against the man who had “manipulated, groomed and abused” her as a child.
“My hope is that many victims hear my story, and it can help lift their shame and allow them to speak up,” she said following the sentencing. “I hope that laws continue to change and new ones are written so that children’s and victims’ rights are better protected.”
“There can be no tolerance for those who sexually prey on children,” Attorney General Gentner Drummond added. “This case is all the more despicable because the perpetrator was a pastor who exploited his position of trust and authority. The victim in this case has waited far too many years for this day.”