Robert Preston Morris, a former pastor of a Texas megachurch, has turned himself in to authorities in Oklahoma following accusations of child sexual abuse. Morris, 63, surrendered to officials in Osage County on Monday, where he faces five charges of lewd or indecent acts with a child. These charges were filed against him last week.
Court records show that an Osage County judge set a $50,000 bond for Morris and ordered him to surrender his passport. He is scheduled for an initial court appearance on May 9 at 10 a.m.
Morris’s attorney, Mack Martin, declined to comment on the charges but stated he expects to enter a not guilty plea on his behalf.
Morris resigned from his position as pastor of Gateway Church, located in the Dallas suburb of Southlake, last year after a woman accused him of sexually abusing her in the 1980s.
The victim, identified in the indictment as C.C., told authorities that the abuse began when she was 12 years old. At the time, Morris was a traveling evangelist staying with her family in Hominy, Oklahoma. According to the attorney general’s office, the abuse continued for a period of four years.
Cindy Clemishire, the woman accusing Robert Morris, expressed her gratitude towards the authorities who helped bring about the indictment and shared her hope that “justice will ultimately prevail.”
“After almost 43 years, the law has finally caught up with Robert Morris for the horrific crimes he committed against me as a child,” said Clemishire, now 55. “Now, it is time for the legal system to hold him accountable.”
Although it is common practice not to name individuals who have been sexually assaulted, Clemishire has chosen to make her name public.
Morris, known for his political involvement, had hosted former President Donald Trump at Gateway Church’s Dallas campus in 2020, where they discussed race relations and the economy.
Morris faces up to 20 years in prison for each of the five charges, according to the attorney general’s office.