North Texas based Gateway Church founder Robert Morris has been accused of sexual abuse in the 1980s of a then 12-year-old girl.
The allegations were first publicized Friday in the religious watchdog blog and later in .
The Oklahoma woman said Morris abused her on multiple occasions in both Oklahoma and Texas starting Christmas Day 1982 to 1987.
In internal statement sent to staff, , Morris acknowledged the allegations of "inappropriate sexual behavior." The statement, sent by the elders of Gateway Church, said Morris 鈥渉as been open and forthright about a moral failure he had over 35 years ago" when he was in his twenties.
According to the statement, Morris stepped away from ministry work and went to counseling before returning two years later in 1989.
"Since that time, I have walked in purity and accountability in this area,鈥� Morris said in the statement.
四虎影院 reached out to Gateway Church and will update this story with additional comments.
Morris started Gateway Church as a "a Bible-based, evangelistic, spirit-empowered church" in 2000. Gateway has several locations in North Texas, including Southlake, Grand Prairie, Plano, and Fort Worth.
In 2016, Morris was named as an executive board member to former President Donald Trump's while on the campaign trail.
Morris, along with other executive board members, were tasked with providing advisory support to Trump on issues important to Evangelicals and other people of faith in America.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, it鈥檚 not your fault. You are not alone. Help is available 24/7 through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE or visit the , y en espa帽ol en .
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