Dallas (AP) – A former texas megachurch shepherd who resigned after a The woman accused him Sexually abused within the Nineteen Eighties was indicted in Oklahoma for accusations of sexual abuse on minors, stated the workplace of the State Prosecutor General on Wednesday.
Robert Preston Morris, 63 years previous, was accused of 5 counts of obscene or indecent acts with a toddler.
The alleged abuse started in 1982 when the sufferer, talked about within the accusation as CC, was 12 years previous and Morris was a traveler evangelist who stayed in Hominy, Oklahoma, together with his household, in accordance with the prosecutor common workplace. The abuse would proceed for 4 years.
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Cindy Clemishire, accuser of Morris, stated in a declaration of being very grateful to the authorities who labored to make the accusation doable and hopes that “justice will finally prevail”.
“After virtually 43 years, the regulation has lastly reached Robert Morris for the horrible crimes that he dedicated towards me as a toddler,” stated Clemishire, now 55. “Now, it’s time that the authorized system considers him accountable.”
The Associated Press usually doesn’t appoint individuals who declare to have been sexually attacked, however Clementishire stated that he would really like his identify to incorporate.
The telephone numbers related to Morris had been disconnected or messages weren’t instantly returned on Wednesday. It wasn’t clear if he has a lawyer.
“There can’t be tolerance for many who sexually prey youngsters,” stated the prosecutor General Gentner Drummond in a notice. “This case is all of the extra despicable as a result of the alleged writer was a shepherd who exploited his place. In this case, the sufferer waited too a few years for justice. “
The Gateway church, primarily based within the suburb of Dallas by Southlake, was based by Morris in 2000. He declared in a press release on Wednesday that his members are praying for Clementishire and “all these affected by this horrible scenario”.
“We are conscious of the actions taken by the authorized authorities in Oklahoma and we’re grateful for the work of the judicial system in contemplating their actions accountable,” says the notice.
Morris resigned final yr from the church after the accusations got here to gentle on the weblog of non secular watchdog The Wartburg Watch.
Clemishire advised The Dallas Morning News final yr that he met Morris in 1981, when he was a journey preacher and began preaching within the church of his household in Oklahoma. He stated Morris and his spouse and younger son approached his household. He stated he was at his home in 1982 when abuse started.
The Church has a number of positions within the space. It is among the many largest within the United States, in accordance with the workplace of the Prosecutor General.
Morris was identified to be politically active. The church hosted President Donald Trump in his Dallas campus in 2020 for a Discussion on racial relationships And the financial system.
Morris may resist 20 years in jail for every of the 5 accusations, in accordance with the workplace of the Prosecutor General. He was not in custody ranging from Wednesday.
