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MAGA mega-church pastor and former Trump “spiritual advisor” Robert Morris pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a child yesterday.
Though his sentence was set at 10 years, the judge suspended all but six months of it, meaning Morris will spend just six months in jail for raping a child over a period of four years.
Morris was also ordered to pay Cindy Clemishire, the victim, $270,000 — a mere $67,500 for each year she was raped as a child.
Morris’ net worth is estimated to be $117 million.
Cindy says she believes there were other victims, and she’s spent decades looking for justice.
“My hope is that many victims hear my story, and it can help lift their shame and allow them to speak up. I hope that laws continue to change and new ones are written so children and victims’ rights are better protected. I hope that people understand the only way to stop child sexual abuse is to speak up when it happens or is suspected.”
Cindy Clemishire, Sexual abuse survivor
The Trend
Morris’ light sentence reflects a larger trend among Republican-controlled legal systems in which white men are disproportionately under-sentenced for sex crimes.
The American justice system has long faced scrutiny for its unequal application of the law, particularly in cases of sexual violence. Several high-profile cases illustrate how white male defendants have received disproportionately lenient sentences, reinforcing concerns about privilege, race, and class bias in the courts.
Perhaps the most infamous example is that of Brock Turner, a Stanford University swimmer convicted in 2016 of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman behind a dumpster. Despite facing up to 14 years in prison, Turner served only three months of a six-month sentence after the judge cited concern for the “severe impact” imprisonment might have on him. The case became a national flashpoint, symbolizing how privilege often shields offenders from accountability.
Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy financier accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls, secured a secret plea deal in 2018 granting him only 13 months in a county jail — much of it on “work release”— despite evidence suggesting far broader criminal conduct.
To date, the only person serving time for criminal activity related to Epstein’s sex trafficking ring for ultra wealthy and powerful men is a woman.
In 2020, Christopher Belter, a New York man who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting multiple teenage girls, was sentenced to probation instead of prison. The judge claimed incarceration would be “inappropriate,” sparking outrage and disbelief.
These cases reveal a pattern: white men with wealth, privilege, or perceived promise often escape the full consequences of sexual crimes.
Such outcomes perpetuate mistrust in the justice system and underscore the urgent need for reform to ensure survivors are not silenced by inequitable rulings.
The Data
White men make up the majority of sexual offenders for both child pornography (67%) and traveling for child rape (56%).
The United States Sentencing Commission (USSC) data shows that offenders convicted of child pornography spend 68% longer in prison (273 months) compared to those convicted of traveling to engage in sex with a minor (163 months). In states with no mandatory minimum sentence, the average sentence for traveling to engage in sex with a minor was only 77 months.
While many states have mandatory minimum sentences for certain kinds of sex crimes, only 51% of offenders are sentenced within those guidelines.
On average, 45% of offenders have their sentences reduced by an average of 39% — and the vast majority of those reductions are given to white men (92%).
That means that white men convicted of sexual abuse receive sentences that are reduced by more than one-third compared to all other offenders. Black offenders are most likely to receive sentences that are, on average, 35% longer than legal guidelines.
The median sentence for rape for white, educated men is 201 months. The average sentence for rape for black men without a college degree is 238 months — three years longer than white educated men.
While men of color are sentenced to prison longer than white men across most types of crimes, sex crimes have the largest disparity in sentencing of all available data.
The districts where most of these variances occur are in Texas, Florida and Oklahoma.
Good God...even with Me Too?