Texas megachurch founder indicted on multiple counts of lewd or indecent acts with child

UPDATE: Former Megachurch Pastor Robert Morris turns self in, bonds out of Osage County jail

A Texas megachurch founder has been indicted by a multi-county grand jury on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, stemming from incidents that date back to the 1980s.

According to a press release from Attorney General Getner Drummond, 63-year-old Robert Preston Morris resigned as senior pastor of Gateway Church in the summer of 2024. The megachurch, based in Southlake, Texas, is among the largest in the United States.

The release says that in Dec. 1982, Morris was a traveling evangelist visiting in Hominy with the family of the alleged victim, who was 12 at the time. The indictment alleges that Morris's sexual misconduct began on Christmas and continued over the next four years.

“There can be no tolerance for those who sexually prey on children,” said Attorney General Gentner Drummond. “This case is all the more despicable because the alleged perpetrator was a pastor who exploited his position. The victim in this case has waited far too many years for justice to be done.”

Officials say the statute of limitations does not apply in this case because Morris was not an Oklahoma resident at any time.

To read the full indictment, click here.

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Following the indictment, victim Cindy Clemishire said;

“After almost 43 years, the law has finally caught up with Robert Morris for the horrific crimes he committed against me as a child. Now, it is time for the legal system to hold him accountable. My family and I are deeply grateful to the authorities who have worked tirelessly to make this day possible and remain hopeful that justice will ultimately prevail.”