Founder of Texas Mega Church, who resigned last year Oklahoma women criticised Pastor of Sexually abuse her In the 1980s, authorities said he pleaded guilty to indecent and indecent behavior with a child on Thursday.
Robert Preston Morris, 64, entered the pleading before the judge. Osage County, Oklahoma As part of a judicial agreement, according to the state attorney’s office.
The abuse began in 1982 when the victim was 12 years old, and Morris was a travel evangelist staying in Hominy, Oklahoma, according to a statement from Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond. The abuse continued for the next four years, the statement said.
Morris was a senior pastor at Gateway Church, outside of Dallas, Fort Worth in Southlake, where he led one of the largest megachurches in the country until his resignation. He was He was indicted by a large ju trial in Oklahoma earlier this year.. Under the judicial agreement, Morris was sentenced to a 10-year suspension sentence and served in the Osage County Jail for the first six months.
Morris was handcuffed and in suits when he was escorted from court on Thursday by two sheriff’s deputies.
Cindy Kremisher, now a 55-year-old victim, said, “Justice will finally be served and the man who manipulated, groomed and abused me as a 12-year-old innocent girl will finally be behind the bar.” The Associated Press usually doesn’t name people who say they’re being sexually assaulted unless they move forward publicly, as Clemishire did.
“My hope is that many victims are listening to me, and that helps them to unlock their shame and allow them to speak out,” she said. “I hope that the law continues to change and that new things are written, so that the rights of children and victims are better protected. I hope that people understand that the only way to stop sexual abuse of children is to speak up when it happens or when it is suspected.”
Morris must register as a sex offender, and Texas officials will be supervised via the interstate compact. He was also ordered to pay the costs of incarceration, including medical expenses and compensation for the victim.
Bill Mateja, one of Morris’s lawyers, said he wanted to accept responsibility for his actions and end the legal matters for him, his family, Clemisher and her family.
“He has long accepted responsibility in God’s eyes and believes that the entrance church is a manifestation of that acceptance, but he easily accepted responsibility in the eyes of the law,” said Mateja.
Mateja says Morris wanted to apologise to Kremisher and her family for his actions and asked for forgiveness.
When asked about the allegations last year Christian Post, In a statement in the publication, Morris said that in his early 20s, he was “involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young woman in the house where I was staying.” He said it was “it was “it was wrong to kiss and interact with each other, not fucking.”
Gateway Church was founded by Morris in 2000. Political vigorous Previously he worked for President Donald Trump’s Evangelical Advisory Committee. The church hosted cards at the Dala Campus in 2020. Discussions on race relations And the economy.
Gateway Church declined to comment Thursday.
The plea entered the front of Osage County District Special Judge Cindy Piqueril.
“Tolerance is impossible for people who sexually prey on children,” Drummond said. “The case is even more despicable, as the perpetrator was a pastor who exploited the status of trust and authority. The victim in this case had waited too many years for this day.”
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This story was revised to say that Robert Morris was indicted earlier this year, not last year.
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Associated Press journalist John Hanna from Topeka, Kansas contributed to this report.
