Trump’s spiritual advisor Robert Morris half-heartedly admits to sexually molesting 12-year-old girl

The pastor of one of the country’s largest churches – whom Donald Trump once described as a spiritual advisor – has admitted to “inappropriate sexual conduct” toward a woman he allegedly sexually abused when she was just 12 years old.

On Friday, Cindy Clemishire told religious watchdog blog The Wartburg Watch that Robert Morris, the pastor of Gateway Church in Texas, asked her to come into his room when he spent Christmas with her family in 1982. She was 12 and he was 20 at the time. She said Morris sexually assaulted her and then ordered her not to say anything about his behavior “because it would ruin everything.” The abuse continued for years before Clemishire confided in a close friend, after which Morris’ wife found out and Morris resigned from his position, according to the report.

He eventually returned to the church and founded the Gateway Church in 2000, which he built into one of the largest megachurches in the country. According to the church, an estimated 100,000 people attend the church each week. He is its senior pastor, which prompted Trump to appoint him to a spiritual advisory board in 2016.

After Clemishire came forward, Morris confirmed the allegations in a statement to The Christian Post, admitting that he had engaged in “inappropriate sexual conduct” toward a “young lady,” but without mentioning Clemishire’s age at the time.

“It was kissing and caressing and not sexual intercourse, but it was wrong,” he said.

He claimed he returned to ministry with the blessing of the girl’s father and church elders two years after reporting the abuse. “I asked them for forgiveness and they generously forgave me,” Morris said.

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Gateway Church elders also told the Christian Post that Morris committed a “moral failure” and has since been acquitted. He was not criminally charged, but the statute of limitations in Texas does not extend to sex crimes against children.

“Pastor Robert has spoken openly and honestly about a moral lapse he made over 35 years ago, when he was in his 20s and before he founded Gateway Church. He has publicly shared from the pulpit the proper biblical steps he has taken in his lengthy recovery process,” they said, according to the Post.

Nevertheless, the church has tried to shield Morris from the public. He did not lead the church’s Saturday services, according to the Dallas Morning News, and the church has declined to give further interviews or make further statements.

Clemishire told the Dallas Morning News that her family never approved of Morris’ return to the priesthood, even though Morris claims the opposite.

“We don’t believe that someone who has done something like this should be a supervisor for anyone in any industry, especially in the church,” Clemishire said.

When asked if she thought Morris’ public apology was sincere, Clemishire rejected it.

“I don’t think it’s remorse when someone calls a 12-year-old a young lady and tries to write off what happened as just petting,” Clemishire said. “I don’t think that’s remorse. There’s no child in the world that anyone should do that to. It’s just unacceptable. There’s no excuse for it.”