Texas megachurch founder released after six months in Oklahoma jail

Robert Preston Morris, founder of Gateway Church, was released from the Osage County Jail in Oklahoma after serving six months for five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child in the 1980s. Under a plea agreement, he received a 10-year suspended sentence with the first six months in jail and must register as a sex offender, supervised by Texas authorities via interstate compact. Morris resigned as Gateway Church’s senior pastor in 2024 amid the allegations, and the victim, Cindy Clemishire, said justice had been served.