Trump's Former Spiritual Advisor Has Pled Guilty to Lewd and Indecent Acts With a Child

According to the Associated Press, in March 2025, former pastor Robert Morris was indicted by an Oklahoma grand jury that charged him with five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child.

Cindy Clemishire, Morris’s accuser, first came forward with the accusations back in June 2024. She told The Dallas Morning News the abuse began in 1982 when she was 12 and Morris was 20.

Clemishire told the outlet that the abuse continued for about four and a half years until she told a family friend in March 1987. At the time, Morris was a pastor at Shady Grove in Grand Prairie, Texas.

After Clemishire's father called the lead pastor and demanded Morris be fired, the disgraced pastor resigned, only to return two years later.

He eventually became President Trump's spiritual advisor during his first administration, but is finally going to prison. Here's what we know.

In October 2025, Morris pled guilty to all five felony counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, per NBC News. Morris was able to negotiate a plea deal that involved a 10-year prison sentence, but he is only serving six months behind bars.

Trump's former spiritual advisor will also have to register as a sex offender, and was ordered to pay $250,000 in restitution to Clemishire.

Clemishire tearfully delivered a prepared statement to Morris, who refused to look at her while she spoke. She told the disgraced pastor that the abuse he inflicted upon her "rippled into every part of her life," including her marriage and how she raised her children.

"Let me be clear," she said carefully. "There is no such thing as consent from a 12-year-old child. We were never in an 'inappropriate relationship.' I was not a ‘young lady’ but a child. You committed a crime against me."

During Clemishire's victim impact statement, her 82-year-old father openly wept in the courtroom.

Karen Black, Clemishire's sister, condemned Morris for his hypocrisy. "You pretended to be holy, preaching from big pulpits," Black said. "As you hid behind your facade, we’ve known you are nothing but a predator."

As Morris was being led away in handcuffs, he told his family he loved them. Outside of the courthouse, Morris's attorney, Bill Mateja, told reporters his client pleaded guilty because he "wanted to accept responsibility for his conduct."

In Morris's mind, he had already confessed to God but needed to accept responsibility "in the eyes of the law."

After Clemishire decided to speak out about her abuse, she was contacted by victims all over the country with similar stories about religious leaders in their communities.

A group of five women accused Pentecostal pastor Joseph Lyle Campbell of allegedly inflicting years of abuse upon them. They spoke with NBC News about the allegations and were part of a documentary that shed light on their experiences.

As for Clemishire, she feels relief over finally being able to tell Morris exactly what his actions did to her.

"Today marks a new beginning for me, my family, and my friends who have been by my side throughout this horrendous journey," she said in court. "Robert, I want you to see me clearly: I am no longer the silenced little girl you abused."