Disgraced Megachurch Founder Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Abuse, Released From Jail

Robert Morris, the founder and former pastor of one of the largest megachurches in the United States, has been released from an Oklahoma jail just six months after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s. Morris, 64, started the Gateway church in Texas and also once served as a White House spiritual adviser during Donald Trump's first presidency.

In early October, Morris pleaded guilty in Osage county district court on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child. The charges stemmed from his abuse of a young girl in the 1980s, when he was in his early 20s. Despite the severity of his crimes, Morris was able to secure an early release from jail, sparking outrage from victims' advocates and child protection organizations.