The Gateway Church founder is charged with five counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child in Oklahoma.
The Gateway Church founder is charged with five counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child in Oklahoma.
The Gateway Church founder is charged with five counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child in Oklahoma.
OSAGE COUNTY, Okla. — Gateway Church founder Robert Morris made an initial appearance in court Friday following his indictment in March on five counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child.
KTUL, the ABC affiliate in Tulsa, reports Morris, 63, appeared hand-in-hand with his wife Debbie. His accuser, Cindy Clemishire, was also in attendance at the hearing, KTUL reports.
Neither Morris nor his attorney gave statements outside of the court, but the case is set for a preliminary hearing this fall, KTUL reports.
Morris, 63, who resigned from his role as lead pastor of the Southlake megachurch last summer after allegations that he sexually abused Clemishire at her Oklahoma home in the ‘80s, starting when she was 12, came to light, turned himself in to authorities in Oklahoma on March 17. He posted bond shortly thereafter, and appeared for a pre-preliminary hearing Friday.
According to the Oklahoma Bar Association, a pre-preliminary hearing, like the one Morris had Friday, is an opportunity for prosecutors and defense attorneys to discuss the case, and a plea bargain offer may be offered. If the plea bargain offer is accepted, a date is set to plead guilty, according to the Oklahoma Bar Association, and if it’s not accepted, a date is set for a preliminary hearing.
Morris’ indictment came after Clemishire accused Morris of sexually abusing her starting on Christmas Day in 1982, when she was 12 and continuing over the next four years. Clemishire testified in support of a bill being considered by lawmakers in Texas to void NDAs in child sex abuse cases in a hearing Thursday.
Morris admitted to being “involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady,” after Clemishire’s allegations were made public, but did not make reference to her age.
Morris founded Gateway Church with his wife Debbie in 2000, and the church has multiple campuses in North Texas.
Following Morris’ resignation last summer, several other staff members, including Robert’s son, James, left the church.
James Morris has since founded a new church.
After an internal investigation by the church led to the firing of multiple gateway elders, Gateway announced it would add four new elders.
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