Texas megachurch pastor Robert Morris pleads guilty to child sex abuse

Morris was a traveling evangelist visiting in Hominy, Oklahoma with the family of Cindy Clemishire, the alleged victim, who was 12 at the time. Morris was 21. The indictment alleges Morris’ sexual misconduct began that Christmas and continued over the next four years. (Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)

On Thursday, Oct. 2, former North Texas-based pastor of Gateway Church, Robert Morris, pleaded guilty to five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a minor, according to the Oklahoma Attorney General's office.

Last year, Morris resigned from his post after admitting to "inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady" 35 years ago. The church removed several of its elders following a law firm's independent investigation into the allegations last November.

According to the Oklahoma Attorney General's office, in December 1982, Morris was a traveling evangelist visiting in Hominy, Oklahoma, with the family of Cindy Clemishire, the alleged victim, who was 12 at the time. Morris was 21. The indictment alleges Morris’ sexual misconduct began that Christmas and continued over the next four years.

Clemishire detailed her abuse in The Wartburg Watch, a blog focusing on nefarious issues in Christian churches. The alleged abuse continued in Oklahoma and Texas until 1987, Clemishire said.

"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 to The Oklahoman after the indictment was made public.

What was Robert Morris' sentencing?

Morris, under the terms of the plea agreement, was sentenced to six months in the Osage County Jail and a 10-year suspended sentence, to be served on probation under the supervision of the State of Texas. He is required to register as a sex offender, cover the costs of his incarceration — including medical expenses — and pay $270,000 in restitution to the victim.

What did Cindy Clemishire say about the sentencing?

Clemishire addressed Morris' guilty plea in a statement.

"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," she said. "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."

Clemishire has a civil suit scheduled for June 15, 2026, where she is the plaintiff. According to the lawsuit that was filed in June, it claims that Morris, his wife, and church leaders knowingly disseminated false statements in order to conceal decades-old abuse and safeguard the church’s reputation. The civil complaint further alleges that Morris and Gateway Church misrepresented the abuse as a consensual "relationship" with a "young lady," rather than acknowledging it as the sexual assault of a child.