Child abuse & neglect

Texas Megachurch Founder Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Abuse

Published OCT 3 2025

Story

Above: People protest outside Gateway Church, following allegations against Robert Morris, on June 22, 2024. Image credit: Chris Torres/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service/Getty Images

The Facts

Robert Morris, 64, pleaded guilty Thursday to five felony counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child in Osage County District Court in Oklahoma, admitting to the sexual abuse of Cindy Clemishire beginning when she was 12 years old in 1982.
The Washington Times
NBC
Under the plea agreement, Morris received a 10-year suspended sentence with six months to be served in Osage County Jail, must register as a sex offender and pay $270,000 in restitution to Clemishire.
Daily Mail
USA Today
Morris founded Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, in 2000, building it into one of the nation's largest megachurches with over 30,000 weekly attendees at its peak. He also served on President Donald Trump's evangelical advisory board.
The New York Times
NBC
FOX8 WGHP
The abuse began on Christmas night 1982, when Morris was a traveling evangelist staying with Clemishire's family in Oklahoma. It continued for four years until she was 16, with Clemishire keeping silent until 1987.
The Telegraph
USA Today
Clemishire publicly accused Morris in 2024 through The Wartburg Watch blog, leading to his resignation from Gateway Church within days and an investigation by the Oklahoma Attorney General's office that resulted in his indictment.
Axios
NBC
Breitbart
During Thursday's hearing, Clemishire told Morris his abuse had affected every aspect of her life, while Morris kept his eyes down. He was then handcuffed and taken into custody after accepting the plea agreement.
The Telegraph
USA Today

Sources Split

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CENTER

RIGHT

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ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Justice finally prevailed when Robert Morris pleaded guilty to five counts of child abuse and received jail time plus sex offender registration. The legal system held this predator accountable for exploiting his position of trust to abuse a 12-year-old girl. Speaking up about abuse is the only way to protect children and ensure perpetrators face consequences.

Oklahoma Attorney General

Narrative B

The Robert Morris case exposes the sick pattern of sin-leveling that allows predatory clergy to be restored as if child abuse equals minor moral failings. Churches routinely shift blame onto victims while treating molestation like telling fibs or being prideful. This cognitive trick protects powerful religious leaders at the expense of those they've traumatized, despite the legal justice faced by some individuals like Morris.