A Texas megachurch pastor, Robert Preston Morris, pleaded guilty to five counts of lewd and indecent acts with a child. Morris, 64, will serve a 10-year suspended sentence with the first six months in jail. The abuse occurred from 1982 to 1986 when Morris was a traveling evangelist staying with the victim’s family. The victim, Cindy Clemishire, welcomed the guilty plea and hopes her story can help others speak up against child sexual abuse.
Morris, who led Gateway Church until his resignation last year, will also register as a sex offender and pay restitution to Clemishire. His attorneys said he accepted responsibility for his conduct and wanted to bring an end to the legal matter for the sake of his family and the victim’s family.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/02/us/robert-morris-texas-megachurch-guilty-plea