On a crisp October morning in Osage County, Oklahoma, the founder of one of America’s largest megachurches, Robert Preston Morris, walked into a courtroom flanked by family members. By the end of the day, Morris, 64, would leave in handcuffs, having pleaded guilty to five counts of lewd and indecent acts with a child—a seismic moment that reverberated far beyond the courthouse and the pews of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas.
The courtroom was silent as Osage County District Special Judge Cindy Pickerill accepted Morris’s plea. The charges stemmed from abuse that began more than four decades ago, in 1982, when Morris, then a traveling evangelist in his early twenties, was staying with the family of Cindy Clemishire in Hominy, Oklahoma. Clemishire was just 12 years old when the abuse started, and it continued for the next four years. According to the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office, Morris exploited his position of trust and authority to manipulate and groom Clemishire, a fact that has haunted her for decades.
“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, as reported by the Associated Press and FOX 4 News. Now 55, she has chosen to speak publicly, hoping her story will encourage other survivors to break their silence. “My hope is that many victims hear my story, and it can help lift their shame and allow them to speak up. 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.”
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Morris received a 10-year suspended sentence, with the first six months to be served in Osage County Jail. After his release, he will serve nine and a half years of probation under supervision by Texas authorities, as outlined in reports from the Oklahoma Attorney General and local news outlets. Morris must also register as a sex offender, pay all costs of incarceration—including medical expenses—and provide $270,000 in restitution to Clemishire.
The courtroom’s gravity was underscored by the presence of Texas State Representative Jeff Leach, who has championed legislative reforms for abuse survivors. “Today I saw a real-life superhero conquer an evil villain,” Leach said, referencing Clemishire’s courage. “After today, Cindy Clemishire is free. And Robert Morris, her abuser, is not. And he never will be again. Going forward, we must do all we can to support abuse victims like Cindy, who had her childhood robbed from her and has had to live with shame and pain for decades before finally seeing justice prevail today.”
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond was unequivocal in his condemnation. “There can be no tolerance for those who sexually prey on children,” Drummond stated. “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.”
Morris’s public admission marks a dramatic fall from grace for a man who once led Gateway Church, a congregation that swelled to tens of thousands under his leadership. Founded in 2000, the church became a fixture in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and a prominent voice in evangelical circles. Morris’s influence extended to national politics; he served on former President Donald Trump’s evangelical advisory board and hosted Trump at Gateway for a 2020 discussion on race relations and the economy.
The allegations against Morris first surfaced publicly in 2024, prompting his resignation from Gateway Church. At the time, church elders initially defended him, but later reversed their stance. Clemishire, reflecting on the church’s response, expressed disappointment that Morris was allowed to resign rather than being terminated outright. “Though I am grateful that he is no longer a pastor at Gateway, I am disappointed that the Board of Elders allowed him to resign,” she wrote in a statement. “He should have been terminated.”
The fallout has not been limited to criminal proceedings. Clemishire and her father filed a civil lawsuit against Morris, his wife Debbie, Gateway Church, and several current and former church leaders, alleging that the defendants concealed Morris’s actions and profited from his “moral failures and rape.” Meanwhile, Morris and Gateway Church are embroiled in a separate federal lawsuit filed by former members, accusing them of failing to honor promises regarding missionary donations and misleading congregants about refunds. The church itself has faced financial strain, resulting in staff layoffs earlier this year, and recently installed a new lead pastor pledging to restore integrity.
In his only public acknowledgment before the plea, Morris told The Christian Post that in his early twenties he was “involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying,” describing it as “kissing and petting, not intercourse, but it was wrong.” However, neither Morris nor Gateway Church disclosed at the time that the “young lady” was only 12 years old, as later revealed by Clemishire and confirmed by authorities.
After the sentencing, Morris’s attorney Bill Mateja released a statement expressing Morris’s remorse and desire for closure for all involved. “While he believes that he long since accepted responsibility in the eyes of God and that Gateway Church was a manifestation of that acceptance, he readily accepted responsibility in the eyes of the law,” Mateja said. “He sincerely hopes that his plea and jail sentence coupled with probation brings Ms. Clemishire and her family the finality that they might need. ... He is at peace with his sentence and, in an odd way, looks forward to fulfilling this penance, namely going to jail for his past sin and crime.”
For Clemishire, the court’s decision is more than just a legal milestone—it’s a turning point in a lifelong struggle for justice and healing. “Today is a new beginning for me, my family and friends who have been by my side through this horrendous journey,” she said. “I leave this courtroom today not as a victim, but a survivor.”
The Morris case has reignited national conversations about accountability in faith communities, the long shadows cast by abuse, and the critical need for robust legal protections for children. As Clemishire’s story echoes across the country, advocates and lawmakers are pushing for reforms to ensure that other survivors need not wait decades for their day in court. For now, a measure of justice has arrived in Osage County, but the broader reckoning with abuse and institutional responsibility continues.
