Large Church Minister and FormerTrump Adviser Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Minor
The founder of one of the largest large congregations in the United States, Robert Morris, has admitted guilt to molesting a 12-year-old girl in the state of Oklahoma during the 1980s period.
The pastor, 64, pleaded guilty on Thursday in the local court on five criminal counts of inappropriate acts with a child. He was sentenced to a decade in custody, but under an agreement will serve only six months in local jail.
He will be listed as a sex offender and pay a quarter million dollars in restitution.
Background of the Legal Matter
The former minister established Gateway church in Southlake, Texas. He expanded it into among the ten biggest large churches in the US, with over twenty-five thousand visitors each week.
The victim, 55, the individual who came forward as the victim of the abuse, was present in the courtroom as he admitted his guilt. In a prepared statement she stated: “There is no such thing as agreement from a child of twelve. We were not involved in any improper relationship. I was not a young woman but a minor. You performed a criminal act against me.”
Her sister a family member also made a declaration, saying: “You acted as if you were righteous, speaking from big pulpits. As you concealed your true self, we’ve been aware you are nothing but a predator.”
Morris resigned from the congregation last year after Clemishire went public. She had spent years trying to hold her abuser accountable.
Details of the Incidents
The molestation began in the year 1982 when the pastor, then 21, was a itinerant preacher. He stayed with the family in their residence, where he asked the child into his room.
The abuse continued for the following four years.
A leaked transcript of a conversation revealed that in 2005, the pastor tried to bribe the victim into not speaking out, telling her to “put a price on it”.
Fall from Grace and Associations
The guilty verdict marks a remarkable fall for the pastor. At his peak, he authored multiple popular books and his sermons were transmitted globally.
He also served as a spiritual adviser to the former president. He joined the presidential advisory group during the initial Trump administration and was involved in an effort to mobilize religious voters for him in last year’s presidential campaign.
The former president also visited the church in 2020 where he commended the pastor and his leadership as “great people with a stellar reputation”.
