In brief
Robert Preston Morris, the founder of a prominent megachurch, was released from jail after serving six months for sexually abusing a child in the 1980s. He pleaded guilty to multiple counts of lewd acts and will face supervision as a sex offender for nearly a decade. The victim, Cindy Clemishire, expressed relief over the justice served, while Morris offered an apology. Clemishire's attorney indicates that efforts to seek full accountability will continue through civil avenues.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Robert Preston Morris, the former founder of Gateway Church, a Texas megachurch, has been released from incarceration after serving a six-month sentence for sexually abusing a child in the 1980s.Morris, now 64, was freed just after midnight, as confirmed by Osage County Sheriff’s Capt. Matt Clark. He had previously pleaded guilty to five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a minor as part of a plea agreement that yielded him a 10-year suspended sentence, with the initial six months mandated to be served in jail.The abuse commenced in 1982 when the victim, Cindy Clemishire, was 12 and Morris was a traveling evangelist visiting her family in Hominy, Oklahoma. After the allegations surfaced, Morris resigned from the helm of one of the nation’s largest megachurches in June 2024.In addition to his jail time, Morris is obliged to register as a sex offender and will be monitored by Texas authorities through an interstate compact. He is also responsible for his incarceration expenses and restitution to the victim.Cindy Clemishire, now in her 50s, expressed her sentiments during the sentencing, declaring that “justice has finally been served.” She and her attorney, Jeff Leach, have indicated intentions to pursue civil action to hold Morris and those who enabled him accountable.Morris, through a statement from his attorney, issued an apology to Clemishire and her family, expressing deep remorse for his past actions. Despite his release, the implications of his actions will follow him as he navigates near a decade of probation and sexual offender registration.Gateway Church, founded by Morris in 2000, has played a considerable role in political circles, previously having hosted Donald Trump for discussions on race relations and the economy.
