Robert Preston Morris, the 64-year-old founder of Gateway Church in Texas, was released from an Oklahoma jail early Tuesday after serving six months for sexually abusing a child in the 1980s. Morris pleaded guilty last year to five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child as part of a plea agreement that included a 10-year suspended sentence, with the first six months to be served in jail.
The abuse began in 1982 when the victim, Cindy Clemishire, was 12 years old. Morris was a traveling evangelist staying with her family in Hominy, Oklahoma, at the time. Morris resigned from his position as senior pastor of Gateway Church in June 2024 after the allegations surfaced. He was indicted by an Oklahoma grand jury last year.
Upon his release, Morris issued a statement apologizing for his actions, stating, 'What I did to Cindy decades ago was wrong. There is no other word for it, and there is no excuse for it. I am deeply sorry.' Clemishire, now in her 50s, previously stated that 'justice has finally been served' following Morris's sentencing.
Morris must now register as a sex offender, pay restitution and court costs, and serve the remainder of his sentence under probation. He will be supervised by Texas authorities and is required to pay over $250,000 in restitution and court costs. The case has sparked both outrage and support from Morris's followers.