Former megachurch pastor Robert Morris is expected to hand himself in to police on Monday over charges of historic child sex abuse.
Morris, 63, stepped down last year as pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, after a woman accused him of sexually abusing her in the 1980s.
He was indicted on five counts of child sexual abuse in Oklahoma last week, as per the state’s attorney general’s office.
Morris is expected to surrender to officials in Osage County, his attorney, Mack Martin, told The Associated Press.
Martin declined to comment on the charges but said he anticipated entering a not-guilty plea on Morris' behalf.
An Osage County judge has set a $50,000 bond and ordered Morris to surrender his passport to the local sheriff, according to court records.
The indictment alleges the abuse began in 1982 when the female victim was twelve years old and Morris was a traveling evangelist staying with her family in Hominy, Oklahoma. The abuse allegedly continued for four years.
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.
