Robert Morris, a 64-year-old founder of Gateway Church, has been released after serving a six-month prison sentence.
In 2024, Cindy Clemishire publicly spoke about the abuse she experienced from Morris. According to her, it began in 1982, when she was 12 years old and Morris was 21. At the time, he was a traveling preacher who stayed in her family’s home.
In October 2025, Morris pleaded guilty to five counts of lewd acts with a child. In addition to his prison sentence, he was ordered to pay $270,000 in compensation and was placed on the sex offender registry.
Morris served on an evangelical advisory board at the White House during Donald Trump’s first term. After the abuse allegations became public, Trump’s representatives distanced themselves from the pastor, stating that he had no connection to the 2024 campaign. Despite his release, Morris remains under supervision by authorities.
