Megachurch Pastor and FormerTrump Counselor Admits Guilt to Child Sexual Abuse
The head of among the biggest megachurches in the United States, the pastor, has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a young girl in the state of Oklahoma during the 1980s period.
Morris, sixty-four, pleaded guilty on Thursday in the local court on multiple charges of inappropriate acts with a child. He was sentenced to 10 years in custody, but under an agreement will serve only half a year in local jail.
He will register as a sex offender and be required to pay $250,000 in compensation.
Context of the Legal Matter
The former minister established the church in the city of Southlake, Texas. He grew it into one of the top 10 largest megachurches in the US, with more than 25,000 attendees each week.
The victim, 55, the woman who came forward as the survivor of the abuse, was present in the courtroom as he pleaded guilty. In a written declaration she stated: “There is no such thing as consent from a child of twelve. We were never in an ‘inappropriate relationship’. I was not a young woman but a minor. You performed a criminal act against me.”
Her sister a family member also read a statement, stating: “You acted as if you were righteous, preaching from big pulpits. As you concealed your true self, we’ve known you are simply a predator.”
The pastor resigned from the church last year after the victim made her story known. She had devoted many years seeking justice for the abuse.
Details of the Incidents
The abuse started in 1982 when Morris, then 21, was a itinerant preacher. He stayed with Clemishire’s family in their residence, where he asked the child into his bedroom.
The molestation continued for the following four years.
A revealed recording of a phone call revealed that in 2005, Morris tried to bribe the victim into not speaking out, saying to her to “put a price on it”.
Fall from Grace and Associations
The guilty verdict marks a remarkable fall for the pastor. At his height, he authored several bestselling books and his teachings were broadcast around the world.
He also served as a spiritual adviser to Donald Trump. He was part of the presidential advisory group during the initial Trump administration and was involved in an effort to organize evangelical voters for him in the recent election.
The former president also visited the church in 2020 where he commended the pastor and his senior team as “great people with a great reputation”.
