Robert Morris, the founder of Gateway Church, has been released from an Oklahoma jail after completing a six-month sentence for charges related to child sex abuse. The former megachurch pastor, now 64, was sentenced following his guilty plea concerning incidents involving Cindy Clemishire, the plaintiff, that occurred during the 1980s.
Upon his release, Morris is required to register as a sex offender and will remain on probation for a suspended sentence of ten years. His guilty plea stemmed from multiple charges of sexual abuse, which he admitted involved Clemishire starting when she was just 12 years old.
Court documents reveal that Morris served his time in the Osage County jail and fulfilled additional financial obligations as part of his release. His admission of guilt came in October, where he acknowledged five separate charges related to the abuse that persisted for approximately four and a half years.
At the time of the abuse, Morris was a traveling preacher who had been welcomed into Clemishire’s home by her parents. The abuse continued until she was 17, when she finally confided in her parents about the situation.
In a statement, Morris characterized his actions as “inappropriate sexual behavior.” He previously disclosed to a Christian publication that during his early twenties, he had an “inappropriate relationship with a young lady,” which he later clarified did not involve intercourse but involved kissing and petting, admitting nonetheless that it was wrong.
Gateway Church later issued a statement highlighting that the church’s leadership was unaware that the individual Morris mentioned was only 12 at the time of the abuse. Following the surfacing of these allegations, Morris stepped down from his role as senior pastor in June 2024.
