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Editor’s Note: This story contains discussions of child abuse that may be disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. If you suspect a child is being abused, find out how to report it in your state here. To connect with a counselor, you can call the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4253.
() An Oklahoma grand jury has indicted former televangelist and megachurch founder Robert Morris on child sexual abuse charges dating back to the 1980s.
Morris, who previously served as a spiritual adviser to President Donald Trump, has been charged with five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, the attorney general’s office said.
The 63-year-old resigned from his role as senior pastor of Gateway Church in 2024 after Cindy Clemishire accused him of sexually abusing her starting in 1982.
Clemishire said Morris was staying in Hominy, Oklahoma, with her family at the time of the abuse.
“There can be no tolerance for those who sexually prey on children,” said Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond. “This case is all the more despicable because the alleged perpetrator was a pastor who exploited his position. The victim in this case has waited far too many years for justice to be done.”
Gateway Church, based in the Dallas suburb of Southlake, was founded by Morris in 2000. The church said in a statement Wednesday that its members are praying for Clemishire and “all of those impacted by this terrible situation.”
During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump named Morris as a member of his evangelical advisory board.
Trump visited Gateway Church’s Dallas campus in 2020, the Dallas Morning News reported, during a trip that included a fundraising dinner.
The Associated Press and ‘s Cassie Buchman contributed to this report.
