Pastor of Texas megachurch and ex-Trump adviser resigns after admitting he sexually abused 12-year-old girl

The pastor of a megachurch in the US state of Texas said on Tuesday (Jun 18) that he had resigned after admitting to sexually abusing a child in the 1980s. This was after a woman had recently come forward publicly with her account and said that Robert Morris, a senior pastor, had sexually abused her on multiple occasions when she was 12 years old.

About Morris’ resignation

The Dallas-based Gateway church, in a statement, said that they had accepted Morris’ resignation and would conduct an independent review to make sure they “have a complete understanding of the events” from 1982 to 1987.

Morris, the church’s senior pastor and founder, was also one of former US President Donald Trump’s ex-spiritual advisers. The now-former pastor used to preach to more than 100,000 active attendees.

Trigger warning: Some readers may find the details of this story disturbing. Discretion is advised.

What are the allegations against him?

In an interview, on Saturday (Jun 15), Cindy Clemishire,Morris' accusertold The Dallas Morning News that she had met him in 1981 when he was a travelling preacher and began preaching at her family’s church in the US state of Oklahoma.

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Clemishire, now 54, alleged that Morris was staying at her house with his wife and son, in 1982.During this time, he asked her to come to his room, told her to lay on his bed and then began touching her inappropriately.

She said that the abuse continued for around four and a half years. Clemishire told USA Today that she was 12 and Morris was 21 when he started molesting her and that she was no longer afraid.

Morris’ accuser told the Christian Post, a religious publication, that while she had forgiven the pastor for the sexual abuse, she believed that he should not have returned to ministry.

What did Morris say?

Morris, 62, on Saturday (Jun 15) told Christian Post that he was “involved in inappropriate sexual behaviour” with a girl he inaccurately referred to as “a young lady”.

“It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong,” the now-former pastor said, adding that the “behaviour happened on several occasions over the next few years.”

He also said that he had confessed his behaviour to the church back in 1987.

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However, the Gateway Church, in a statement said it “did not have all of the facts of the inappropriate relationship between Morris and the victim, including her age at the time and the length of the abuse.”

It added that they knew about his “extramarital relationship” which was discussed “many times” throughout his ministry but not that it was “abuse of a 12-year-old child.”

Notably, Morris was appointed to Trump’s evangelical advisory board for his 2016 presidential campaign and even participated in a roundtable discussion with the former president in 2020.

(With inputs from agencies)