Texas megachurch founder Robert Morris indicted on child sex charges
Editor's Note: This story contains discussions of child abuse that may be disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. If you suspect a child is being abused, find out how to report it in your state here. To connect with a counselor, you can call the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4253.
(NewsNation) — An Oklahoma grand jury has indicted former televangelist and megachurch founder Robert Morris on child sexual abuse charges dating back to the 1980s.
Morris, who previously served as a spiritual adviser to President Donald Trump, has been charged with five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, the attorney general's office said.
The 63-year-old resigned from his role as senior pastor of Gateway Church in 2024 after Cindy Clemishire accused him of sexually abusing her starting in 1982.
Clemishire said Morris was staying in Hominy, Oklahoma, with her family at the time of the abuse.
Execution by nitrogen gas 'ugly way to die': Medical ethicist
'There can be no tolerance for those who sexually prey on children,' said Oklahoma 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.'
Gateway Church, based in the Dallas suburb of Southlake, was founded by Morris in 2000. The church said in a statement Wednesday that its members are praying for Clemishire and 'all of those impacted by this terrible situation.'
Delphi murders: Full 'Bridge Guy' video releases on Richard Allen innocence website
During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump named Morris as a member of his evangelical advisory board.
Trump visited Gateway Church's Dallas campus in 2020, the Dallas Morning News reported, during a trip that included a fundraising dinner.
The Associated Press and NewsNation's Cassie Buchman contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Watch live: Trump participates in Invest America roundtable
President Trump is scheduled to participate in an Invest America roundtable event Monday afternoon at the White House. A White House official confirmed to NewsNation that Trump at the event, which is scheduled to begin a 2 p.m. EDT, will highlight $1,000 'Trump Account' investments for kids to be included in his GOP megabill. Watch the roundtable live in the video player above. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump's ‘big, beautiful bill' includes 5-year investment in kids
(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' has touched on several facets he feels will help the American people presently and in the future, including investing in the country's youth. Trump on Monday plans to highlight the 'Trump Account,' in which the federal government would make a one-time contribution of $1,000 into a tax-deferred, low-cost index fund account that will track the overall stock market to every U.S. citizen born between Jan. 1, 2024, and Jan. 1, 2029. The accounts will be private property controlled by the child's guardians. Trump's big bill also seeks to undo the big bills of Biden and Obama The accounts will begin at $1,000 per child, with the opportunity to contribute an additional $5,000 yearly throughout the child's life. Several business leaders — including those from Dell, Uber and Goldman Sachs — have announced billions of dollars in collective investments into 'Trump Accounts' for the children of their employees. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump's term a ‘rough time for science in America': Ex-NASA astronaut
(NewsNation) — The United States has grown 'completely reliant' on SpaceX, said Col. Terry Virts, a former NASA astronaut and International Space Station commander. 'It's not only NASA, also the Defense Department and the intelligence community are very dependent on SpaceX,' Virts told NewsNation. President Donald Trump has threatened to cut SpaceX contracts amid a public feud with onetime adviser Elon Musk, who briefly countered with a threat to decommission his Dragon space capsule. Pulled NASA nomination blindsides space community: 'Major blunder' Musk's threat has since been walked back, but Virts said it indicates a greater problem: national needs left to Musk's whims. 'I think it's very concerning, especially when the CEO is so unstable and has been so, you know, unpredictable and some might say, dangerous in recent years,' Virts said. Trump's proposed NASA budget would cut $6 billion — the largest single-year cut in the agency's history, according to the nonprofit Planetary Society. Under the budget, human space programs would get a boost, with more than $7 billion allocated for lunar missions and $1 billion allocated for new investments in efforts to get people to Mars. The budget includes significant cuts to staffing, maintenance, environmental compliance, and the space and Earth science programs. 'It has been a chaotic and stressful time. Unfortunately, it affects the nation's space exploration and science community, not only at NASA, but also in the medical research and other fields,' Virts said. Milky Way has 50-50 chance of colliding with neighbor galaxy Musk's company is set to launch Falcon 9 for Axiom Space's Axiom Mission 4 on Tuesday, seemingly signaling a secure partnership between SpaceX and NASA. But Virts warned of overarching damage to the American science community that has been building since Inauguration Day. 'You can't just turn on a space program, and in a matter of months. You can certainly turn it off, and that's what's happened with this administration's chaos,' Virts said. 'But getting it back is going to be a problem.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.