Gateway Church founder Robert Morris apologized to his victim, Cindy Clemishire, in a statement after pleading guilty to five counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child. Clemishire accused the former pastor of sexually abusing her when she was a child. In the statement read by his attorney, Morris asked for forgiveness and thanked his friends, family and Gateway church members for their support. Watch the full statement here. To read more about what happens next for the megachurch founder, go to

Gateway Church founder Robert Morris once had thousands of attendees each week attend his services. Today, in an Oklahoma court, he pled guilty to five felony counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child. The survivor, Cindy Clemshire was just 12-years-old when the abuse began in 1982. Today, she was in court to witness Morris’s plea firsthand. NBC News’ Priscilla Thompson reports. | NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas