Morris said he had “carried the weight” of his actions for years and expressed gratitude that the Clemishire family brought the matter to light. “I ask again, publicly and sincerely, for the forgiveness of Cindy and her entire family,” said Morris. “Whatever healing lies ahead for them, I pray for it with all my heart.”
Morris went on to apologize to the church at large. “I also want to speak to the Body of Christ,” he said. “I am sorry. I am sorry for the pain, the confusion, and the damage that has come upon so many believers because of my actions. That is a weight I carry, and it is right that I carry it.”
Reflecting on the legal outcome, Morris said, “At first, that was a hard thing to handle. But the more time I spent in that jail cell, the more clearly I could see that what the Clemishire family set in motion was an act of integrity.”
“It gave me something I needed,” he added, “a moment of true reckoning in the eyes of the law, not just in my own heart or before God.” Morris said he did “not have a grand announcement to make about what comes next” but intends “to live quietly and with integrity.”
As he concluded, Morris said he had been pondering Galatians 6:7 and said that, while the consequences of his past sin were deserved, he has hope for the future based on God’s grace.
Jeff Leach sent ChurchLeaders a statement on behalf of Cindy Clemishire in response to the one given by Morris. Leach is an attorney with Gray Reed, a Dallas-based law firm that represents Clemishire. He also serves in the Texas House of Representatives, chairs the House Judiciary Committee, and is the author of Trey’s Law, which forbids the use of NDAs in sexual abuse cases.
In March, the Oklahoma House of Representatives unanimously passed House Bill 4227, known as the “Cindy Clemishire Act.” The bill, which includes protections modeled after “Trey’s Law,” bolsters mandatory reporting requirements and restricts the use of nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) in cases of child sex abuse.
RELATED: Oklahoma House Unanimously Passes ‘Cindy Clemishire Act’ Targeting NDAs in Abuse Cases
“Robert Morris’ six month prison sentence for the sexual assault of twelve-year old Cindy Clemishire may be complete,” said Leach, “but we are heartened to know that he still has nearly ten years of probation as well as a lifetime ahead of being publicly registered as a sex offender.”
“While the criminal justice system continues to hold Robert accountable for his heinous crimes and seeks to protect potential future victims through close monitoring and probation limitations,” Leach said, “Cindy will continue to fully pursue justice via the civil justice system.”
