Lawyers for Donald Trump’s former faith advisor Robert Morris accused a 12-year-old girl of initiating “inappropriate” sexual conduct with the ex-Dallas megachurch  pastor, new documents have revealed.

Morris resigned in June after admitting to the incident. His accuser Cindy Clemishire previously claimed that the pastor had begun abusing her on Christmas Day in 1982.

Clemishire, now 52, said that Morris and his wife had been staying at her family home at the time when he asked her to come into his room, whereafter he told her to lay on his bed and then began touching her inappropriately.

She said the abuse had continued until 1987 when she told her parents.

However, 25 years after the incident, a lawyer for Morris – J Shelby Sharpe – claimed that it was the child who was actually to blame.

  • shalafi@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Buddy of mine’s 12-yo stepdaughter was flirting with him when they watched movies. He was horrified and confused.

    “Dude, she’s just testing her feminine wiles on you since she sees you as safe, kinda testing her attractiveness. Doesn’t even have a clue she’s doing it. Just ignore it or gently push back if she goes too far.”

    And of course all was well. Thought it was a cute and funny story.

    And we have lawyers trying to slide this defense?! Not to mention the guy who took it seriously and raped a child! I swear to god they used to threaten disbarment over stupid shit like this.

    tl;dr Kids do stupid shit when they start puberty. It’s on the adult to see what’s happening.

    • tpihkal@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      I’m in my late thirties and I have to remind myself when a younger twenty-something girl comes on to me, that is never going to work and I have to be the mature one to shut it down.

      • stoly@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        lol I like the comment but it comes across a little “look what I can do still”

        • tpihkal@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          That is not what I meant but I don’t know how to explain it without sounding like a douche.

          The point I’m trying to make is that you have to recognize your place in life and use that as reference to help other people around you.

          • stoly@lemmy.world
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            1 month ago

            FWIW I understood what you were saying. I am a linguist which means I’m sensitive to differing meanings that the same words and phrases have. I happened to notice it on your comment and thought it was funny.

      • Empricorn@feddit.nl
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        1 month ago

        You’re correct, but keep in mind your example is still legal! The article we are discussing is not.

      • rowrowrowyourboat@sh.itjust.works
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        1 month ago

        I get what you’re saying, but let’s chill out on the infantilization of women.

        A 20-something-year-old woman doesn’t compare to a 12-year-old.

        And maybe the 20-something-year-old woman hitting on you just wants to have fun and is not thinking about anything working out with you. Presume much?

        • blazeknave@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          How old are you? I agree with your infantilization comment but you’re wrong here. I’m middle aged. A girl in her 20s literally looks like a child to me and the older I get, the more I see it’s fucking gross when older men date women that make them feel like they’re fucking little girls.

          • nomous@lemmy.world
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            1 month ago

            You must be looking at the wrong 20yr olds, take a walk around a university campus and tell me they’re kids.

              • nomous@lemmy.world
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                1 month ago

                I’m old enough to look at 22yr olds and see them as grown women. Pretty gross to see them as anything less honestly.

                • otp@sh.itjust.works
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                  1 month ago

                  The original commenter said

                  that is never going to work and I have to be the mature one to shut it down.

                  They didn’t say anything about women being or looking like children.

                  It’s not infantilizing to recognize that, for them, being at significantly different life stages would not be the kind of relationship they want.

                • Soulg@sh.itjust.works
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                  1 month ago

                  You’re really protecting a lot onto the other guys comments, dude. I’m only 30 and 20yr Olds look like children, both men and women. It has literally nothing to do with disrespect and everything to do perception of others as you age.

                  That’s why they kept asking you your age. You’re clearly also a child who doesn’t understand it yet.

                • blazeknave@lemmy.world
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                  1 month ago

                  Anything less? Different isn’t less. I didn’t say less. Distraction.

                  I hire and mentor women that age. I still think anyone that age, whether their gender, looks like a kid, when you’re older. And I don’t like fucking kids, or adults that look like kids. How gross of me.

                  So how old are you? Old enough to second guess how you’re going to be received by responding directly?

        • assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          I get what you’re saying. The way I look at it is that it’s different phases of life. At nearly 30 I really can’t relate to someone still in college. Maybe a senior at best. I’d be flattered if they came onto me, but they’re just too young for me. That doesn’t mean they’re like a 12 year old. It just means I want to date someone I can more closely relate to and who’s had experience living and working after college.

          There’s a maturity factor too. I was waaaaay less mature back in my early 20s and drank and partied a lot. That’s how it should be, I’m not knocking people for doing that. Being less mature isn’t a bad thing when you’re actually young, and you should have fun while you are. There’s nothing wrong with that.

          This is why I can’t fathom 30+ year old men being interested in even 18 or 19 year olds. They’re less mature (again, as they should be!) and at a very different stage in life. It’s creepy to actually want to date them.