Cindy Clemishire leaves the Osage County courthouse where Texas megachurch founder Robert Morris pled guilty to child sex crimes in Pawhuska on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025.

PAWHUSKA, OK — Texas megachurch founder Robert Morris pleaded guilty in an Oklahoma court on Oct. 2 to sex crimes against a girl that started in 1982 and continued for years.

Morris, 64, entered guilty pleas to five felony counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child in an Osage County courtroom. He will serve six months in the Osage County jail and then be on probation for nine years and six months, according to a plea agreement outlined by Oklahoma Attorney General Getner Drummond in a news release.

He also must register as a sex offender and pay $270,000 in restitution to the victim, Cindy Clemishire, who in court called him "a pedophile, disguised as a preacher." Morris did not apologize in court.

Osage County Special Judge Cindy Pickerill accepted the deal after Clemshire acknowledged she had been consulted about it and was in agreement with the punishment.

The probation is considered a suspended sentence under the plea agreement, which means Morris is now a convicted felon. He could go to prison if he violates the conditions of his probation.

"This case is all the more despicable because the perpetrator was a pastor who exploited his position of trust and authority," Drummond said in the news release. "The victim in this case has waited far too many years for this day."

Victim says crimes 'wounded faith itself'

Morris admitted to wrongdoing after Clemishire spoke to The Wartburg Watch, a blog about sexual abuse within the church. Clemishire previously told USA TODAY, which typically does not name victims of sexual abuse, that she decided to come forward publicly to encourage others who may be victims to tell their stories.

"Any and all victims, come forward ... I just don't believe that I'm the only person," she said.

In her victim impact statement during the Oct. 2 proceedings, Clemishire said again that Morris sexually abused her for more than four years.

"While you built a megachurch, authored books, and gained fame, I dropped out of college, endured divorces, (and) struggled with self-worth," she told Morris in a voice choked with emotion.

"While you twisted your crimes into a story of 'infidelity' to protect your image, my family and I were left trying to explain the truth to pastors who looked the other way. I battled depression, made countless poor decisions, adding more shame to my life. And when I finally spoke, you tried to call it consensual."

She told him his crimes "wounded faith itself" and that she hopes he genuinely repents. Morris kept his head down and his eyes closed during the impact statements.

What was Robert Morris accused of?

Clemishire said in the blog post that she and her family met Morris at a youth revival in Tulsa when he was 20 and she was 11 years old. Morris was a traveling evangelist with his wife, Debbie.

Morris would preach at Clemishire's church on Sundays, and sometimes he, Debbie, and their son would stay at her family's home. She viewed him as "safe and friendly," she said.

Things changed on Christmas in 1982 when Morris asked a 12-year-old Clemishire to "visit him in his room that night," and she thought nothing of it, she said in the post. Once in his room, she said he sexually abused her and warned her: "Never tell anyone about this because it will ruin everything."

She said the abuse continued in Oklahoma and Texas until 1987.

In statements made last year, Morris said he was involved in his early 20s in "inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying." Morris pleaded guilty "for the sake of finality," his Texas attorney Bill Mateja said in a news statement.

"Pastor Robert made it a point to ask that I tell Ms. Clemishire and her family that he sincerely apologizes for his conduct and asks for their forgiveness," the attorney said.

Morris was on Trump's spiritual advisory board during 2016 campaign

Morris resigned as senior pastor of Gateway Church last year after admitting wrongdoing. He founded the church in Southlake, Texas, a suburb of Dallas and Fort Worth, in 2000. Under his leadership, it expanded to multiple locations.

The church removed several of its officials following a law firm's investigation into the allegations in November.

Morris was on Trump’s spiritual advisory board during the 2016 campaign and during the first term of his presidency. He did not have a role in the 2024 reelection effort.

Morris had a television program that aired in over 190 countries, and his radio program aired in more than 6,800 cities, according to his biography on the Gateway Church website. His YouTube page, which is no longer online, had 80,000 subscribers and included videos with titles like "Freedom Through Forgiveness" and "Did You Know You're Made Perfect By God's Grace?"

What's next for Robert Morris?

Morris still faces a civil lawsuit accusing him of defaming the victim over the years, including when he claimed she had forgiven him. Clemishire and her father filed the lawsuit in Dallas County District Court in June.

They complained Morris has described the sexual offenses as an "extramarital affair" and has said Clemishire seduced him.

They also complained church officials have known about the sexual abuse for years but attempted to cover it up "in order to continue to profit from the church."

"So often victims experience what I did in 2024 − slander of my character and an effort to shift blame, which minimized my abuse and turned my private pain into national news," Clemishire said in a statement after the guilty plea.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas megachurch founder Robert Morris pleads guilty to child sex crimes

Reporting by Nolan Clay, Jonathan Limehouse and James Powel, USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY

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