Robert Morris, Texas Megachurch Pastor and Donald Trump Spiritual Advisor, Admits to Child Sexual Abuse, Resigns from Gateway Church
Robert Morris, a former Donald Trump adviser and the pastor of the Dallas-based Texas megachurch, the Gateway Church, has admitted to sexually assaulting a 12-year-old child in the 1980s. He later resigned from his position in the church.
According to The Guardian, Robert Morris, who was one of the founding members of the Gateway Church and was its face for decades, was accused by an Oklahoma woman of sexually abusing her in the 1980s. The sexual abuse began while she was still 12 years old and continued until she reached the age of 16.
When the accusation surfaced, Morris spoke with the religious publication, the Christian Post, and admitted to the deed. His victim also released a statement to the same publication and slammed the former Trump spiritual adviser.
When I was in my early 20s, I was involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying," the Texas megachurch pastor told the religious news outlet.
However, his accuser was quick to reply, telling the Christian Post she was "appalled" at the description of her as a "young lady" and that the repeated abuse she received from him had taken decades for her to process. She also stated that she and her family have repeatedly been threatened by Robert Morris with lawsuits and by using the police against them.
Other churches that Morris ministered that were absorbed into the Gateway Church were allegedly aware of his abusive history, including the Shady Grove church, which later became Gateway Church's Grand Prairie campus in 2013. However, Morris claimed that he received counseling and had since "walked in purity and accountability in this area."
MAGA Pastor Robert Morris Announces Resignation From the Gateway Church
Following his interview with the Christian Post, Robert Morris has now resigned from his position as the pastor of Gateway Church, with his child sexual abuse allegations now hounding his career.
READ MORE: Matt Gaetz in More Trouble as House Ethics Committee Expands Sexual Misconduct Probe
In addition to his resignation, NBC Dallas-Fort Worth is reporting that the Gateway Church has now accepted his resignation after two decades of leading the church. Gateway has also hired the law firm of Haynes and Boone to conduct an independent review of Morris's "inappropriate relationship."
"Regretfully, prior to Friday, June 14, the elders did not have all the facts of the inappropriate relationship between Morris and the victim, including her age at the time and the length of the abuse," the church said in a statement. "The elders' prior understanding was that Morris's extramarital relationship, which he had discussed many times throughout his ministry, was with a 'young lady' and not an abuse of a 12-year-old child."
Robert Morris Sexual Abuse Scandal Turns Focus Back to MAGA Hypocrisy
Because of his closeness to former president and convicted felon Donald Trump, critics have pointed out the hypocrisy of the MAGA movement, which has embraced proven sexual assaulters like Donald Trump himself and accused pedophiles like Robert Morris and Matt Gaetz while at the same time accusing the LGBTQ community of the same things their leaders are doing.
As MSNBC noted, Trump and his followers believe that the LGBTQ community is the greatest threat to human decency, while Trump and some of his allies have been repeatedly found liable for sexual misconduct.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: Woman says Gateway Church founder Robert Morris began sexually abusing her when she was 12 - FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth
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