Pastor Robert Morris, who was part of the spiritual advisory group for the Trump-Pence campaign in 2016, was released from jail in Oklahoma on Tuesday after serving six months. He admitted to molesting a 12-year-old girl named Cindy Clemishire on Christmas night in 1982 while staying at her family’s home when he was 20. At that time, Morris was married with a son, and he is now 64 years old.
Morris accepted a plea deal last year, confessing to five charges of inappropriate actions with a child.
As part of the deal, he received a suspended 10-year sentence with the first six months served in jail. He must now register as a sex offender, pay for his imprisonment costs including medical bills, and give money back to his victim.
In a statement, Morris said, “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.” He added that he has carried the burden of his actions for a long time and was thankful that the Clemishires had the courage to come forward.
Cindy’s lawyer, Jeff Leach, said they are encouraged that Morris still has a long time of probation and will be a registered sex offender for life.
Leach also mentioned that Cindy wants full accountability in a civil court against Morris and anyone who helped or hid his crimes.
When Morris was first sentenced, Cindy said, “Justice has finally been served, and the man who manipulated, groomed, and abused me as a 12-year-old innocent girl is finally going to be behind bars.”
Morris started Gateway Church in 2000, and it now has about 100,000 people attending each week.
In 2005, Cindy tried to get a settlement for the molestation, asking for $50,000 to cover therapy costs. Morris’s lawyer claimed the molestation was her fault because she was “flirtatious.” Morris offered her $25,000, but she refused to sign a secrecy agreement to get the money. In March 2025, Cindy shared her story publicly, which led to an investigation and Morris’s arrest and trial. He left the church after the story became widely known.
Cindy said that Morris became friends with her family when he was preaching at a youth revival in Hominy, Oklahoma.
He would stay at her family’s home while doing local work and told her to lie on her back in his room. He touched her breasts and under her underwear. He told her not to tell anyone because it would ruin everything.
He reportedly continued to molest her for five years and told his wife he was “counseling” the child.
Cindy eventually told a close family friend, which caused her family’s social circle to fall apart.
In court, Cindy told Morris that his abuse affected every part of her life, including her relationships, marriages, and how she raised her children.
She said he didn’t look at her while she spoke.
“Let me be clear,” she said to Morris.
“There is no such thing as consent from a 12-year-old child. We were never in an ‘inappropriate relationship.’ I was not a ‘young lady’ but a child. You committed a crime against me.”
In November 2024, Gateway Church removed four elders who allegedly knew about Cindy’s allegations years ago but did nothing.
After the church removed Morris, he sued the church for millions in retirement benefits, saying church leaders mishandled his removal and damaged his reputation. The church refused, and his lawsuit is still ongoing.
Morris was part of Trump’s evangelical advisory board.
The group included other conservative Christians like James Dobson, Jerry Falwell Jr., Ralph Reed, and Michele Bachmann.
Conservative Christians have often accused LGBTQ+ people of “grooming” and “sexualizing” children.
However, they ignore the long history of child molestation and sexual abuse within the Christian church.
About the Author
