Megachurch Pastor and Ex-Trump Adviser Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Minor

The founder of one of the largest megachurches in the US, the pastor, has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a young girl in the state of Oklahoma during the 1980s period.

Morris, 64, pleaded guilty on that day in Osage county district court on multiple charges of lewd or indecent acts with a minor. He was given a sentence to a decade in custody, but as part of a plea deal will serve only six months in local jail.

He will be listed as a registered offender and pay $250,000 in compensation.

Background of the Case

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

Cindy Clemishire, 55, the woman who came forward as the survivor of Morris’s sexual abuse, was there in court as he admitted his guilt. In a prepared statement she told him: “It is impossible to have agreement from a child of twelve. We were not involved in any improper relationship. I was not a ‘young lady’ but a child. You performed a criminal act against me.”

Her sister a family member also read a statement, stating: “You pretended to be holy, speaking from big pulpits. As you hid behind your facade, we’ve known you are nothing but a predator.”

The pastor stepped down from the church the previous year after the victim went public. She had devoted many years seeking justice for the abuse.

Details of the Abuse

The abuse started in 1982 when Morris, at age twenty-one, was a itinerant preacher. He stayed with the family in their residence, where he asked the girl into his room.

The abuse continued for the following four years.

A leaked transcript of a phone call revealed that in 2005, the pastor tried to bribe the victim into silence, telling her to “name your price”.

Fall from Grace and Connections

Morris’s conviction signals a dramatic downfall for the minister. At his height, he authored multiple popular books and his sermons were transmitted globally.

He also served as a religious counselor to the former president. He joined the White House spiritual advisory committee during the first Trump presidency and was involved in an effort to organize evangelical voters for him in last year’s presidential campaign.

Trump also visited Gateway church in 2020 where he commended Morris and his leadership as “wonderful individuals with a great reputation”.