Texas Pastor Robert Morris Charged with Child Sex Crimes

Subscribe to The Brief, the daily newsletter from The Texas Tribune that keeps readers informed on the key Texas news.

Robert Morris, the pastor of a megachurch in the Dallas area who stepped down last year amid allegations of sexual abuse, has been indicted in Oklahoma for child sex crimes dating back to the 1980s.

Morris, a former spiritual advisor to President Donald Trump, is the leader of Gateway, one of the largest megachurches in the U.S., which has been notably influential in politics. In 2020, Trump led a “Roundtable on Transition to Greatness” event at Gateway, attended by prominent Republicans including then-U.S. Attorney General William Barr.

According to a Wednesday evening press release from the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, Morris faces five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child.

This indictment follows closely behind Morris’s resignation from Gateway Church in Southlake after an adult woman, Cindy Clemishire, accused him of sexually assaulting her multiple times during her childhood in Oklahoma in the 1980s, while he was working as a traveling preacher.

Clemishire expressed gratitude for the indictments in a text message sent through her attorney on Wednesday.

“After nearly 43 years, the law has finally held Robert Morris accountable for the terrible crimes he perpetrated against me as a child,” she stated. “It is now time for the legal system to ensure he faces justice. My family and I are immensely thankful to the diligent authorities who made this possible and remain hopeful for ultimate justice.”

Clemishire’s revelation surfaced while the Dallas religious community is still grappling with several recent sexual abuse scandals, with at least a dozen churches or pastors in the Dallas area being accused of sexual misconduct, affecting some of the region’s most prominent figures and institutions.

Few have been as prominent as Morris, who became increasingly involved in state and national politics after founding Gateway in 2000. In 2017, he was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to support the controversial “Bathroom Bill,” which aimed to ban transgender individuals from using bathrooms of their choice, partly by claiming it would lead to child sexual abuse.

During Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, Morris was among several Dallas-area religious leaders who participated in Trump’s evangelical advisory board. In 2021, he was involved in efforts to rally conservatives and evangelicals leading up to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.

As Morris gained national political attention, his church’s influence at the local level expanded. For years, he and Gateway would showcase candidates running for local school boards on the church’s large screens before elections, possibly violating federal regulations against explicit political involvement by churches.

“Many of you see the schemes Satan is applying within our school systems,” Morris told his congregation of approximately 25,000 members in 2023, while presenting a list of Republican candidates.

Such strategies have been mirrored by neighboring congregations like Mercy Culture Church, which was established with financial support from Gateway and has become a fixture in local Republican circles, frequently hosting local Republican officials and the chair of the Texas GOP.

Representative Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth, is also a pastor at Mercy Culture. He was among many Republican lawmakers who urged Morris to resign after Clemishire’s allegations became public last summer.

Representative Jeff Leach, R-Dallas, also supported calls for Morris to step down and pledged to pursue legislation this session that would provide enhanced rights for victims of childhood sexual abuse—such as extending the statute of limitations for them to file lawsuits against their abusers or those who facilitated the abuse.

This session, multiple legislative proposals have been introduced to expand civil statutes of limitations, enabling victims like Clemishire to seek compensation for the significant lifelong costs associated with childhood abuse.

Clemishire’s attorney, Boz Tchividjian, mentioned in a text message on Wednesday that she has been collaborating with advocates for reforms behind the scenes. “I am uncertain if they have reached the point of testifying in committees,” he stated. “However, I have no doubt she will when the time comes.”

We are excited to invite you to the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, an event centered on groundbreaking ideas and politics taking place from November 13 to 15 in downtown Austin. Join us for discussions that will influence the future of education, the economy, healthcare, energy, technology, public safety, culture, the arts, and much more.

Catch insights from our CEO, Sonal Shah, about TribFest 2025.

TribFest 2025 is proudly presented by JPMorgan Chase.