Megachurch Pastor Robert Morris Pleaded Guilty to Five Felony Child Sex Abuse Charges. He Served Six Months.

 

Former Megachurch Pastor Robert Morris Pleaded Guilty to Sexually Abusing a Child

Robert Preston Morris was the founder and longtime senior pastor of Gateway Church, one of the largest megachurches in the United States.

In 2024, Morris resigned after allegations surfaced that he had sexually abused Cindy Clemishire beginning when she was 12 years old.

The case eventually reached a courtroom.

In October 2025, Morris pleaded guilty in Oklahoma to five felony counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child.

The charges involved abuse that prosecutors said began in 1982, when Clemishire was 12 and Morris was 21, and continued for several years.

Morris received a 10-year suspended sentence, with only the first six months to be served in jail. He was also ordered to pay restitution and register as a sex offender.

In March 2026, Morris was released after completing that six-month jail term.

Five felony convictions.

Years of sexual abuse beginning when the victim was a child.

Six months behind bars.

Cindy Clemishire carried what happened to her for decades. Morris built a religious empire.

Her name deserves to be remembered alongside the record of what he did.