Trial date set for Gateway Church founder Robert Morris in civil case over child sex abuse allegations
The woman who accused Morris of sexually abusing her four decades ago will have to wait a while for justice in her civil case.
Watch CBS News
The woman who accused Morris of sexually abusing her four decades ago will have to wait a while for justice in her civil case.
Operation Grayskull helped shutter four heavily trafficked dark web sites where violent child sexual abuse materials were traded and housed.
Gateway Church will eliminate Saturday services at most of its campuses as it continues to navigate its future after founder Robert Morris' resignation amid a child sex abuse investigation.
Gateway said tithing "has not mirrored attendance," and due to the issues with its former lead pastor and church founder, Robert Morris.
Cindy Clemishire and her father are seeking civil damages in excess of $1 million.
Authorities call it a successful round up of child sex offenders, but it also shows how widespread the crime is in North Texas.
Morris is currently facing five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child in Oklahoma.
The alleged abuse is believed to have occurred during the final week of school, according to the Little Elm ISD.
The announcement comes nearly a year after Robert Morris, the church's founding pastor, stepped down following allegations of sexual contact with a 12-year-old girl 40 years ago.
The former Gateway Church pastor, facing criminal charges of lewd or indecent acts with a child, claims he is owed retirement benefits.
Members of the congregation say they're still waiting for answers —and questioning transparency amid church disputes.
Cindy Clemshire, the victim in the case, was also in attendance. The judge set the next hearing for September.
The 50-year-old man had been wanted since 2012, according to authorities.
John Collett was voted best elementary school teacher in the 2022 Best of Denton County awards.
Cindy Clemishire testified on behalf of a bill involving abuse victims and a civil court agreement.
The accusations date back to the early 1980s in Oklahoma, but charges were only officially brought this week.
Robert Morris resigned from Gateway Church last year following allegations that he sexual relations with a 12-year-old girl approximately four decades ago.
It is something Morris' attorneys will likely challenge.
Bond for the former Gateway Church pastor has been set at $50,000 and Oklahoma officials said they expect Morris to surrender himself early next week.
Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said the judge's sentence will ensure "this predator will spend the rest of his life behind bars."
The announcement of the arrest comes one day after police disclosed the arrest of a North Texas water polo coach.
Louis Vasquez said Minsterios Bethania USA failed him when he made an outcry about being sexually abused. So, he is suing his former church for what an adult man did to him as a child.
The North Texas megachurch embroiled in controversy over its founder's alleged child sex abuse is facing another lawsuit.
Less than two months have passed since the church founder resigned over allegations he sexually assaulted a young girl.
Federal investigators accuse TJJD of engaging in a "pattern of abuse" at its five secure facilities across the state.
