A former youth leader from the Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, has been accused of grooming and sexually abusing a then 13-year-old member of the youth group he supervised back in 2016.
The man she accuses of sexually assaulting her has been imprisoned in Dayton, Texas, at the Hightower Unit since his conviction for sexually assaulting another child in an unrelated case.
Church’s founder resigned prior due to sex abuse allegations
Earlier this summer, Robert Morris, the founder of Gateway Church, resigned after being accused of sexual abuse of a 12-year-old child back in the 80s.
Two months prior to his resignation, the church agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by a former church member who alleged sexual assault by a youth leader and five pastors of Gateway Church when she was a minor.
Plaintiff seeks damages in excess of $1 million
The plaintiff in the civil suit is requesting over a million dollars in damages for the sexual abuse she suffered, as well as for the lack of supervision of minors by Gateway Church. There is no information regarding any potential criminal charges that could arise from the plaintiff’s allegations.
Are you a victim of church sexual abuse?
It’s extremely traumatizing for victims to be assaulted by priests, pastors and other church leaders whom they are taught to trust. It can be even more challenging to be the whistleblower who turns them in to law enforcement.
Even in cases where the statute of limitations has expired for criminal charges, it may still be possible to seek civil justice if you act now.