Update:
Updated at 1:33 p.m., March 17, 2025, with more details.
Robert Preston Morris, the founding pastor of Dallas-area megachurch Gateway, turned himself in to Oklahoma authorities Monday on child sexual abuse charges, according to the Osage County deputy court clerk.
Related:A timeline of Robert Morris, Gateway Church and the child sex abuse scandal
Morris, 63, surrendered to officials in Osage County, where he was indicted last week with five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, his attorney, Mack Martin, told The Associated Press. Martin said he anticipated entering a not guilty plea on Morris’ behalf.
A representative for Martin’s office said she would pass on a request for comment. The News did not immediately hear back.
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Morris was released on a $50,000 bond, according to Nancy Dawson, Osage County’s deputy court clerk. He turned himself in before 8 a.m. Monday and surrendered his passport, according to Captain Herb Cline in the Osage County sheriff’s office.
Morris’ initial court appearance has been scheduled for 10 a.m. on May 9, according to a spokesperson for Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond. Morris could face up to 20 years in prison for each of the five charges, according to the attorney general’s office.
Morris will not enter a plea until later in the process, according to Heidi Kastning, Osage County’s first deputy court clerk.
Related:Ex-Gateway employees say the church had a culture of silence and trauma. Is that changing?
Morris has not responded to letters and at least five phone calls from The News seeking comment. The News called three phone numbers listed in public records for Morris and left voicemails at two of them and did not immediately receive a response. The News called and emailed attorneys representing Morris in a different case and did not immediately hear back.
Morris resigned last year as pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake after a woman accused him of sexually abusing her in the 1980s.
The alleged abuse started in 1982 when the victim was 12 years old and Morris was a traveling evangelist staying in Hominy, Okla., with her family, according to the attorney general’s office. The abuse allegedly continued for four years.
Related:Current, former Gateway members react to founder’s indictment on child sex abuse charges
Cindy Clemishire, Morris’ accuser, said in a statement that she is very grateful to the authorities who have worked to make the indictment possible and is hopeful “justice will ultimately prevail.”
“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. “Now, it is time for the legal system to hold him accountable.”
After Clemishire first publicly alleged Morris abused her, legal experts told The News the statute of limitations for a criminal case against him may have expired.
However, Drummond, the Oklahoma attorney general, said in a news release last week that the statute of limitations did not apply in this case because Morris was never a resident of Oklahoma.
Drummond told The News Thursday that Oklahoma law pauses the statute of limitations for a criminal prosecution for as long as the crime’s alleged perpetrator does not live in Oklahoma.
Drummond briefly represented Clemishire in 2007, according to Drummond and 2007 emails shared with The News last year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Adrian Ashford covers faith and religion in North Texas for The Dallas Morning News through a partnership with Report for America.
