The pastor of a megachurch based in Dallas who formerly served as Donald Trump’s spiritual advisor, Robert Morris, has admitted to inappropriate sexual behaviour with a 12-year-old girl back in the 1980s according to a report by local ABC affiliate WFAA.

Cindy Clemishire accused Gateway Church pastor Robert Morris of molesting her when she was 12. The evangelical church which is one of the largest churches in the U.S. was founded by Morris in 2000. According to Clemishire, the abuse lasted from December 1982 until 1987.

According to WFAA, Morris admitted to “inappropriate behaviour with a young lady” but failed to specify her age or name. Morris shared in a report, “When I was in my early twenties, I was involved in inappropriate sexual behaviour with a young lady in a home where I was staying. It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong. This behaviour happened on several occasions over the next few years.”

It is alleged that the sexual abuse began while Morris was married and working as a travelling evangelist and was residing at Clemishire’s home in 1982. In 1987, he asserted that the situation was, “brought to light and it was confessed and repented of.”

Morris stepped away from ministry to undergo a “restoration process” as per the request of Clemishire’s family and returned later in 1989. Clemishire said to WFAA,

“I think leaders can get caught up and think it’s our responsibility to protect God and it’s not. Our responsibility is to protect the people. God is bigger than all of that,”