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The head of one of the largest large congregations in the United States, Robert Morris, has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in the state of Oklahoma during the 1980s.

The pastor, sixty-four, entered a guilty plea on that day in the local court on five criminal counts of inappropriate acts with a minor. He was sentenced to a decade in prison, but as part of a plea deal will serve only half a year in local jail.

He will register as a sex offender and be required to pay $250,000 in compensation.

Context of the Legal Matter

The disgraced pastor founded the church in the city of Southlake, Texas. He expanded it into one of the top 10 largest megachurches in the US, with more than 25,000 visitors each week.

Cindy Clemishire, 55, the woman who publicly identified herself as the survivor of the abuse, was present in the courtroom as he pleaded guilty. In a prepared statement she told him: “There is no such thing as agreement from a 12-year-old child. We were not involved in any improper relationship. I was not a young woman but a minor. You committed a crime against me.”

Her sister a family member also read a statement, stating: “You acted as if you were righteous, speaking from large platforms. As you hid behind your facade, we’ve been aware you are simply a predator.”

The pastor resigned from the church the previous year after the victim made her story known. She had devoted many years seeking justice for the abuse.

Specifics of the Incidents

The molestation started in the year 1982 when the pastor, then 21, was a travelling evangelist. He was a guest of Clemishire’s family in their residence, where he asked the child into his room.

The molestation persisted for the following four years.

A leaked transcript of a conversation revealed that in 2005, Morris attempted to pay off Clemishire into not speaking out, telling her to “put a price on it”.

Downfall and Connections

Morris’s conviction marks a remarkable fall for the minister. At his peak, he wrote several bestselling books and his teachings were transmitted around the world.

He also served as a religious counselor to the former president. He was part of the White House spiritual advisory committee during the first Trump presidency and was part of a campaign to organize evangelical voters for him in last year’s presidential campaign.

The former president also visited Gateway church in 2020 where he commended Morris and his senior team as “wonderful individuals with a great reputation”.