Gateway Church Founder Sentenced for Child Sexual Abuse

Robert Morris, the founder and former pastor of one of Texas’ largest churches, will spend just six months in jail out of a 10-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to child sexual abuse. This conviction relates to an incident from decades ago. Morris, who is 64 years old, resigned from his position at Gateway Church in Dallas last year.

He appeared in court before Oklahoma State Judge Cindy Piquerill and admitted to five felony counts of inappropriate behavior with minors. As part of the plea deal, he will avoid a full 10-year sentence but must still serve six months in the Oklahoma County Jail.

Additionally, Morris is required to register as a sex offender and is responsible for paying over $200,000 in reparations to Cindi Cremicher, who was just 12 years old when the abuse occurred.

Cremicher’s allegations date back to 1982, and they came to public attention shortly after Morris’s resignation from Gateway Church, as reported by the Wartburg Watch. The church, based in Southlake, has expanded significantly since Morris founded it.

According to Wartburg Watch, Cremicher revealed that her family met Morris when he was a young evangelist at a revival in Tulsa. At that time, she was only 11. Morris was regularly preaching in his hometown of Hominy, Oklahoma, where he and his family often stayed at her home.

The nature of the relationship changed on Christmas night in 1982, when Morris, according to Cremicher, asked to visit her in her room. What followed was years of horrifying abuse that lasted more than four years.

She kept the abuse hidden for a long time, eventually confiding in her parents and church leaders, but authorities were not alerted at the time. In 2005, Cremicher attempted to seek a $50,000 settlement from Morris to help cover counseling costs, but the private contract he wanted her to sign went unsigned.

Following the public revelation of the abuse, a grand jury indicted Morris in March 2025 on four counts of lewd behavior. These charges relate to incidents that occurred starting in 1982.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond addressed Morris’s guilty plea, stating that there is no tolerance for individuals who take advantage of children, particularly when the offender is a person of trust and authority.