A former pastor of a Texas megachurch is set to surrender to officials on Monday on child sexual abuse charges that date back to the 1980s.
Last week, Robert Morris was indicted on five counts of “lewd or indecent acts with a child,” according to the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General. Mack Martin, Morris’ attorney, told the Associated Press that he expects to enter a not guilty plea but refused to comment on the charges against Morris.
An Osage County judge set a $50,000 bond and made Morris hand over his passport to the local sheriff, according to court records.
Morris resigned last summer as senior pastor of Gateway Church in the Dallas suburb of Southlake, the AP reported. His resignation followed a public complaint: Cindy Clemishire accused Morris of sexually assaulting her as a child multiple times, which allegedly started in 1982 and continued for four years, according to the AP.
“After almost 43 years, the law has finally caught up with Robert Morris for the horrific crimes he committed against me as a child,” said Clemishire, now 55, in a statement. “Now, it is time for the legal system to hold him accountable.”
If convicted, Morris could be imprisoned for up to 20 years for each of the five charges, according to the attorney general’s office.
“There can be no tolerance for those who sexually prey on children,” said Attorney General Gentner Drummond in a press release. “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.”
Read more at the Associated Press.
