Gateway Founder Robert Morris Indicted On Child Sex Charges
Disgraced Gateway Church Founder Robert Morris has been indicted on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, according to a press release by the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office.
The indictment stems from incidents that began around Christmas 1982, when Morris’ alleged victim was 12 years old, the release states. This matches the description of sexual abuse alleged last June by Oklahoma resident Cindy Clemishire.
Shortly after the allegations became public, Morris resigned from Gateway, one of the largest megachurches in the country.
In November, Gateway removed four elders who either knew about the allegations of abuse or knew enough that they should have investigated, the church stated.
“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 told The Roys Report (TRR).
“Now, it is time for the legal system to hold him accountable. My family and I are deeply grateful to the authorities who have worked tirelessly to make this day possible and remain hopeful that justice will ultimately prevail.”
Previously, it was thought that criminal charges could not be brought because the statute of limitations had expired in this case. However, the statute of limitations “is not applicable in this case because Morris was not a resident or inhabitant of Oklahoma at any time,” the press release stated.
“There can be no tolerance for those who sexually prey on children,” said 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.”
The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office said the criminal behavior occurred when Morris was a traveling evangelist and would visit the family of the alleged victim in Hominy.
“He and his wife, Debbie, were family friends and often stayed in our home when he was preaching at my dad’s church,” Clemishire told TRR previously. She added that the abuse continued until she was 16 years old.
Morris was 21 to 25 years old at the time and a pastor of Shady Grove Church, which is now Gateway Church-Grand Prairie Campus.
Clemishire told TRR that the abuse escalated from inappropriate touching to rape by instrumentation.
Clemishire said she told her father about the abuse, who then told the lead pastor of Shady Grove Church “that if Morris didn’t get out of the ministry, he would report him to police.”
In a statement last June, Morris said he “confessed and repented of” his actions in 1987 and stepped down from his pastoral position.
Gateway initially stated that Morris had been “open and forthright about a moral failure when he was in his twenties.” Later, Gateway said it hadn’t realized Morris’ victim was only 12.
In a statement to the Dallas Morning News, Tra Willbanks, chair of Gateway’s elder board, said he is grateful to the justice system for holding Morris accountable.
“We continue to pray for Cindy Clemishire and her family, for the members and staff of Gateway Church and for all those impacted by this terrible situation,” Willbanks said.
TRR has reached out to Morris multiple times but has not ever received a reply. We do not currently have contact information for Morris.
Attorney General Drummond represented Clemishire in 2007, when she sought a lawsuit against Morris.
An email Drummond sent to Morris in 2007 asked for reimbursement of thousands Clemishire spent in counseling “as a result of this abuse.” Clemishire told TRR that Morris’ attorney “attempted to blame me for the abuse.”
Since Morris’ resignation, tithes at Gateway have plummeted 35%-40%, and a number of top staff have resigned, including Morris’ son and daughter-in-law, James and Bridgette Morris.
The church also was sued for financial fraud. However, a court granted a motion this week to drop claims of fraud against former Gateway Executive Global Pastor Kevin Grove.
This piece is republished from The Roys Report.
Julie Roys is a veteran investigative reporter and founder of The Roys Report. She also previously hosted a national talk show on the Moody Radio Network, called “Up for Debate,” and has worked as a TV reporter for a CBS affiliate. Her articles have appeared in numerous periodicals.