People have expressed outrage over the Texas megachurch pastor Robert Morris only having to serve six months in jail after he admitted to sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s.
Morris, 64, admitted to five felony counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child in Osage County District Court on Thursday.
Under a plea agreement, he was handed a 10-year sentence, but will only serve six months behind bars, NBC News reported. He will also pay $250,000 in restitution and register as a sex offender.
Responding to the sentence, the Christian author Jennifer Greenberg, who has written about her own abuse, wrote on X: “Predator pastor, Robert Morris, has plead guilty of sexually abusing a child, but thanks to a plea deal (WHY?!) he’ll only serve 6 months in jail. How long do you think it will take before some stupid church ‘forgives’ him and makes him a pastor again?”
Republicans Against Trump, an anti-Trump group of conservatives, said: “Former Trump spiritual adviser and Texas megachurch pastor Robert Morris pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl. He will serve only 6 months in jail and pay $250,000 in restitution.”
Morris is the founder of Gateway Church, a multi-site megachurch based in Texas. He also served on President Donald Trump’s Evangelical Advisory Board in 2016.
Last year, Cindy Clemishire, 55, accused Morris of abusing her at the age of 12. She was present in the courtroom when Morris accepted responsibility.
This is a developing story. More to follow.
Read the full article here
