Robert Morris surrenders to Oklahoma authorities in child sex abuse case

PAWHUSKA, Okla. — A former megachurch televangelist accused of sexual misconduct with a 12-year-old girl is free on $50,000 bail after surrendering to Oklahoma authorities on Monday.

Gateway Church Founder Robert Preston Morris surrendered to authorities before 8 a.m. at the Osage County Sheriff's office on five counts of lewd molestation that occurred between 1982 and 1987. If convicted, the famed Texas televangelist is facing 100 years in prison.

Phone calls left for Mack Martin, Morris's attorney, were not returned.

After Morris, 63, surrendered to Osage County deputies, he was whisked to the Osage County Courthouse for a "special arraignment" before Judge Cindy Pickerell.

His next court date is May 9, when a preliminary hearing on the allegations will be set.

Oklahoma Attorney General Genter Drummond filed the five-page indictment in Osage County District Court against Morris a year after Cindy Clemishire publicly accused Morris of sexual misconduct ranging from inappropriate touching to rape by instrumentation.

The alleged abuse started on Christmas night in 1982 when the woman was 12 years old and continued until Clemishire was 17 years old and told her parents about the years of abuse.

Cheshire said when her father found out about the alleged abuse years later, he told Morris's pastor that if Morris didn’t get out of the ministry, he would report him to the police.

The family's pleas for justice were ignored.

Clemishire is now a grandmother, and her viral accusations prompted Morris to step down from the Texas-based church, one of the largest megachurches in the country.

Clemishire released a statement addressing the 40-year-old allegations.

"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."

Cindy Clemishire

At the time of Clemishire's accusations, it was thought Morris had dodged any criminal charges because the statute of limitations had expired in this case.

However, Drummond addressed those concerns in a statement from his office, saying, "The statute of limitations is not applicable in this case because Morris was not a resident or inhabitant of Oklahoma at any time."

While in private practice, Drummond was Clemishire's attorney in 2005 and sought to file a civil suit against Morris. Morris's attorneys offered Clemishire $25,000 and wanted her to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Clemishire said it was never about the money, but she did want Morris to cover any counseling expenses and admit to his alleged wrongdoing.

Shortly before resigning, Morris released a statement to his congregation, admitting that while in his early twenties and for several years, he "was involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying."  Morris described the behavior as "petting and not intercourse."

In 2024, an outranged Clemishire said she was "not a young lady" but "a child." "I was an innocent little girl," Clemishire said.

That Christmas night, Clemishire said she was wearing pink pajamas with bloomer pants over her underwear, and she was wearing a snap-up robe when allegedly assaulted by Morris.