SOUTHLAKE, Texas — A multi-county grand jury in Oklahoma has indicted North Texas megachurch founder Robert Morris on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, officials announced on Wednesday.
The indictment comes after Cindy Clemishire accused Morris of molesting her on Christmas in 1982 in Hominy, Oklahoma, when she was 12 years old. The indictment alleges that Morris’ sexual misconduct began that Christmas and continued over the next four years.
Morris confessed to “inappropriate sexual behavior” days after Clemishire’s accusations became public in June 2024 and resigned as founding pastor of the Gateway Church in Southlake last summer.
Gateway Church, which Morris founded with his wife, Debbie, in 2000, has multiple campuses around the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
“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.”
In all, Morris faces five counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child, according to the indictment.
Clemishire sent WFAA a statement following the indictment saying she remains hopeful that justice will prevail.
“After almost 43 years, the law has finally caught up with Robert Morris for the horrific crimes he committed against me as a child. 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,” Clemishire said in a statement.
Officials said the statute of limitations is not applicable in this case because Morris was not a resident or inhabitant of Oklahoma at any time.
Gateway Church said in a statement to WFAA, “We are aware of the actions being taken by the legal authorities in Oklahoma and are grateful for the work of the justice system in holding abusers accountable for their actions. We continue to pray for Cindy Clemishire and her family, for the members and staff of Gateway Church, and for all of those impacted by this terrible situation.”
Since Morris’ resignation, the church has faced a lot of public scrutiny and several staff members have parted ways with the church. In September, James Morris, the son of Robert Morris announced the name of his new church, two months after resigning from Gateway.
Then, several months after the church’s internal investigation led to the firing of multiple gateway elders, the church announced it would add four new elders.
WFAA has reached out to Morris for comment and is waiting to hear back.
