The pastor of a Texas megachurch who was once named as a “spiritual advisor” to disgraced ex-President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign has just issued a public admission to “inappropriate sexual behavior” with a 12-year-old girl that he referred to as a “young lady,” after he was publically accused of sexual assault against a minor by his alleged victim.
In a stomach-churning report released by The Wartburg Watch last week, Cindy Clemishire went public with allegations that Robert Morris, pastor of the Gateway Church in Texas, repeatedly molested her, beginning when she was only 12 years old and he was 20. According to Clemishire, the abuse continued for years and Morris eventually stepped down from his position in his ministry at the time when his victim confided in a friend about the ongoing assault.
Following these horrific allegations, Morris has released statements to The Christian Post, in which he publicly admits to sexually assaulting the child, but attempts to smooth over his transgressions by referring to Clemishire as a “young lady” and describing his actions as “kissing and petting.”
“When I was in my early twenties, I was involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying. It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong. This behavior happened on several occasions over the next few years,” Morris’ statement on the matter reads.
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The Gateway Texas megachurch was founded by Morris in 2000, following the repeated sexual assaults. The megachurch now boasts more than 100,000 weekly attendees.
Following Morris’ public statement, Clemishire reached out to The Christian Post with comments, specifically in reference to Morris’ attempt to label her as a “young lady.”
“I was 12 years old. I was a little girl. A very innocent little girl. And he was brought into our home. He and his wife, Debbie, and their little boy, Josh, and trusted and preached at the church that my dad helped start and then began grooming all of us to do this, which took me decades to wrap my brain around as an adult,” she told the Conservative Christian publication.
Morris abused Clemishire for more than four years, and she says that it took her a very long time to realize and understand that she was actually raped.
“He says there was no sexual intercourse, but he did touch every part of my body and inserted his fingers into me, which I understand now is considered a form of rape by instrumentation,” Clemishire says. “I was an innocent 12-year-old little girl who knew nothing about sexual behavior.”
In his public statement, in which he openly admits to being a sexual predator against children, Morris claims to be walking “in purity and accountability” since he was caught sexually assaulting a literal child and subsequently stepping down from his ministry at the time.
He claims in his statement that he was forgiven by his victim’s family during a meeting in 1989 and was given their blessing to return to the ministry. However, Clemishire refuted this claim, saying that her father told Morris that he was lucky he didn’t “kill him.”
“In March of 1987, this situation was brought to light, and it was confessed and repented of. I submitted myself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the young lady’s father,” Morris said. “They asked me to step out of ministry and receive counseling and freedom ministry, which I did. Since that time, I have walked in purity and accountability in this area.”
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Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
