Robert Morris, the Texas megachurch pastor and once served as a faith adviser to President Donald Trump, pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges of sexually abusing a young girl in the 1980s.
The plea, which comes after years of legal battles and public accusations, marks a dramatic fall for the 64-year-old religious leader, who built one of the largest congregations in the US and became a prominent figure in evangelical circles.
Morris was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but he will serve only six months in county jail under a negotiated plea agreement.
What are the accusations?
Morris pleaded guilty to five felony counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child in Osage County District Court.
The charges are based on allegations made by Cindy Clemishire, now 55, who accused Morris of molesting her in the early 1980s when she was just 12 years old.
Clemishire, who attended Morris’ church, said the abuse began during a Christmas visit in 1982, when Morris, then a travelling evangelist, invited her to his room. The abuse allegedly continued for several years.
Morris admitted to the charges, but under the plea agreement, he will serve only six months in jail, register as a sex offender, and pay $250,000 in restitution to Clemishire.
The rise and fall of Morris
Morris founded Gateway Church in 2000 in Southlake, Texas, and quickly grew the congregation into a megachurch with tens of thousands of weekly attendees.
He became a well-known figure in the evangelical community, with his sermons broadcast worldwide and his books reaching bestseller lists. Morris also served as a faith adviser to President Trump during his time in office.
However, his career came crashing down in June 2024 after Clemishire publicly accused him of the abuse.
Morris stepped down from Gateway Church following the accusation, acknowledging what he called a “moral failure” but failing to address the specifics of the allegations at the time.
Clemishire’s decision to speak out in 2024 led to an investigation by the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office, and in March 2025, a multicounty grand jury indicted Morris on charges of child sexual abuse.