Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond told reporters, “There can be no tolerance for those who sexually prey on children. This case is all the more despicable because the alleged perpetrator was a pastor who exploited his position. The victim in this case has waited far too many years for justice to be done.”
“We are aware of the actions being taken by the legal authorities in Oklahoma and are grateful for the work of the justice system in holding abusers accountable for their actions,” Gateway Church said in a statement. “We continue to pray for Cindy Clemishire and her family, for the members and staff of Gateway Church, and for all of those impacted by this terrible situation.”
Oklahoma’s statute of limitations does not apply to Morris, because he wasn’t a resident of the state at the time of the alleged crimes. Oklahoma also has no statute of limitations for crimes involving sexual abuse if the victim was under 16 years of age at the time of the offense.
If convicted on all five felony charges, Morris could face up to 100 years in prison.
, an Oklahoma grand jury indicted Gateway Church founder Robert Morris on five charges stemming from his alleged sexual abuse of 12-year-old Cindy Clemishire in the 1980s.){kind=link}