Robert Morris, Gateway Church founder, to make first court appearance Friday
OSAGE COUNTY, Oklahoma - Robert Morris, founder of Gateway Church in North Texas, is set for his first court appearance Friday after surrendering himself in March following multiple indictments for indecent acts with a child.
Morris' five charges each carry a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Robert Morris' first court appearance
What we know:
According to the Oklahoma Attorney General, the initial court appearance for Morris is set for Friday morning in an Osage County court.
The AG said there are no new documents in the case.
After his March arrest, Morris' attorney said he expected to submit a not-guilty plea on his client's behalf during the initial court hearing.
What we don't know:
The AG did not give a time or itinerary for the meeting.
Robert Morris arrested
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 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 backstory:
Morris, 63, turned himself in to Osage County officials on March 17 after he was indicted on multiple charges.
After turning himself in, Morris was charged and released on $50,000 bond. He has been charged with five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child.
According to court documents, Morris is believed to have committed the acts while traveling in Oklahoma beginning in 1982, while the alleged victim was 12 years old, and lasting until 1987.
Due to Morris not being an Oklahoma resident during the alleged offenses, there is no statute of limitations.
Cindy Clemishire
Cindy Clemishire
Cindy Clemishire came forward with accusations of abuse against Morris in June 2024. Her initials, timeline of abuse and accusation details match those given in Morris' indictments, though Clemishire is not named in the court documents.
Following the accusations, Morris resigned from Gateway Church, which he founded in 2000.
In a previous statement by Gateway Church, a quote from Morris alluded to an "inappropriate relationship with a young lady." These allegations reportedly came out 35 years ago; Morris stepped away from ministry for two years to receive counseling, the church said.
Gateway Church removes elders after investigation into Robert Morris sexual abuse accusations
Gateway Church says it has removed multiple elders who knew about abuse allegations against founder Robert Morris and is cooperating with an ongoing criminal investigation.
Morris went on to tell The Christian Post, "It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong."
He did not name Clemishire in any statements regarding the alleged abuse.
The Source: Information about Robert Morris' upcoming court hearing came from the Attorney General of Oklahoma. Background information came from previous FOX reporting.