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The head of among the biggest megachurches in the US, Robert Morris, has admitted guilt to molesting a 12-year-old girl in the state of Oklahoma during the 1980s.

The pastor, sixty-four, pleaded guilty on that day in the local court on multiple charges of lewd or indecent acts with a child. He was sentenced to a decade in custody, but under an agreement will only serve half a year in county jail.

He will register as a registered offender and pay a quarter million dollars in restitution.

Background of the Case

The former minister established the church in the city of Southlake, the state of Texas. He grew it into one of the top 10 largest megachurches in the US, with over twenty-five thousand attendees each week.

The victim, fifty-five, the individual who came forward as the victim of the abuse, was present in the courtroom as he admitted his guilt. In a prepared statement she told him: “There is no such thing as agreement from a child of twelve. We were never in an ‘inappropriate relationship’. I was not a young woman but a minor. You performed a criminal act against me.”

Her sister a family member also made a declaration, stating: “You pretended to be holy, speaking from large platforms. As you hid behind your facade, we’ve been aware you are simply a predator.”

The pastor stepped down from the congregation last year after the victim made her story known. She had spent years trying to hold her abuser accountable.

Specifics of the Incidents

The molestation began in the year 1982 when the pastor, at age twenty-one, was a travelling evangelist. He stayed with Clemishire’s family in their residence, where he asked the girl into his room.

The molestation continued for the following four years.

A revealed recording of a conversation revealed that in 2005, the pastor attempted to pay off the victim into silence, saying to her to “name your price”.

Downfall and Associations

Morris’s conviction marks a remarkable fall for the pastor. At his peak, he authored several bestselling books and his teachings were broadcast globally.

He also served as a religious counselor to the former president. He was part of the presidential advisory group during the first Trump presidency and was part of a campaign to organize evangelical voters for him in last year’s presidential campaign.

Trump also attended Gateway church in 2020 where he commended the pastor and his leadership as “great people with a stellar reputation”.