Gateway Church founder Robert Morris indicted on child sex charges
Megachurch founder indicted on child sex charges
An Oklahoma grand jury indicted the megachurch founder on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child. There is no statute of limitations because Morris was not an Oklahoma resident at the time of the allegations.
The founder of a North Texas megachurch has been indicted on multiple counts of indecent acts with a child.
What we know:
The indictment says the abuse began around Christmas Day in 1982.
The document says Morris "did intentionally touch or feel with his hand... the body or private parts... of C.C., who was 12 years old at the time."
Although court documents do not name the victim, the initials, timeline and details match the allegations made by Cindy Clemishire.
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Woman claims Gateway Church founder Robert Morris began sexually abusing her when she was 12
In a statement to The Christian Post, Pastor Robert Morris admitted to "inappropriate sexual behavior."
And while FOX 4 does not usually identify victims of alleged sexual abuse, Clemishire went public with her story last June.
Clemishire detailed moments of her childhood in Oklahoma, where she says Morris repeatedly molester her.
At the time, Morris was a traveling preacher and would stay at Clemishire's home.
Aside from two alleged crimes in 1982, the indictment outlines similar instances in January of 1983 and 1985.
According to court paperwork, it escalated when Morris’ victim was 13 or 14, highlighting incidents between January of 1983 and 1985 when he "removed her clothing and rubbed his clothed body against hers" while inside a parked car.
What they're saying:
Clemishire says Morris' indictment is welcome news.
"After almost 43 years, the law has finally caught up with Robert Morris for the horrific crimes he committed against me as a child," she said in a statement released through her attorney. "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."
A Gateway Church spokesperson said it is grateful that the justice system is "holding abusers accountable."
"There can be no tolerance for those who sexually prey on children," said Oklahoma AG 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."
FOX 4 reached out to a number registered to Morris, but no one answered or returned the call.
PREVIOUS STORY: Gateway Church elders removed following investigation
Multiple Gateway Church elders have been removed after an outside investigation into what they knew about sexual abuse allegations against founder Robert Morris.
The backstory:
Morris resigned from the church back in June when Clemishire came forward with the claims.
She said she brought up her allegations multiple times to the church's board of elders. When the claims became public, the board of elders said they weren't aware that the "young lady" in question may have been 12 years old.
In November, the church says a number of elders were let go and other staff members who knew about the claims would not be allowed to become elders.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office, statement from Cindy Clemishire and Gateway Church and previous FOX 4 reports.