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Editor’s Note: This communicative contains discussions of kid maltreatment that whitethorn beryllium disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. If you fishy a kid is being abused, find retired however to study it successful your authorities here. To link with a counselor, you tin telephone the National Child Abuse Hotline astatine 1-800-422-4253.
(NewsNation) — An Oklahoma expansive jury has indicted erstwhile televangelist and megachurch laminitis Robert Morris connected kid sexual maltreatment charges dating backmost to the 1980s.
Morris, who antecedently served arsenic a spiritual advisor to President Donald Trump, has been charged with 5 counts of lewd oregon indecent acts with a child, the lawyer general's bureau said.
The 63-year-old resigned from his relation arsenic elder pastor of Gateway Church successful 2024 aft Cindy Clemishire accused him of sexually abusing her starting successful 1982.
Clemishire said Morris was staying successful Hominy, Oklahoma, with her household astatine the clip of the abuse.
“There tin beryllium nary tolerance for those who sexually prey connected children,” said Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond. “This lawsuit is each the much despicable due to the fact that the alleged perpetrator was a pastor who exploited his position. The unfortunate successful this lawsuit has waited acold excessively galore years for justness to beryllium done.”
Gateway Church, based successful the Dallas suburb of Southlake, was founded by Morris successful 2000. The religion said successful a connection Wednesday that its members are praying for Clemishire and “all of those impacted by this unspeakable situation.”
During his 2016 statesmanlike campaign, Trump named Morris arsenic a subordinate of his evangelical advisory board.
Trump visited Gateway Church’s Dallas field successful 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.
