But he didn't survive past the age of 29, so now I refer to him as a victim, and I'm trying to be his voice.". The two recent lawsuits were filed in Missouri and in federal court in Dallas. From what I know of Joe White he would have never allowed anyone to work at Kanakuk, never the less be on leadership, if they had done anything questionable in this area. And explain to them what he was accused of, and then later tell them that he had confessed. But in 2021, I saw video evidence that Kanakuk Kamps knew of Newmans predatory actions as far back at 1999, the year that I had met him, and they failed to act appropriately to protect myself and many other victims.. Survivors of child sexual abuse are attempting to enact laws in Missouri and Texas to change the legal landscape for Christian camps that cater to children and teens. Additional coverage of abuse allegations at Kanakuk is available here: 2023 Baptist News Global. As a 7th grader, I didnt even understand I was being abused. Four witnesses who say they were abused at Kanakuk Kamps, a popular evangelical camp outside Branson, Mo., testified before Missouris House Judiciary Committee Feb. 13 in support of House Bill 367. The Bible does not tell us that the Lord allows these things to happen for a reason. Relying on an incomplete application without references and no background check, Pete Newman is hired as a Kanakuk Kamps counselor at age 19. Hoffpauir noted in a. intended to gain public support that speaking out might have been the hardest thing that Ive ever done. Other survivors are posting support on social media and sending messages to committee members. I didnt have the courage. Kanakuk opens for Summer 2020 terms despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Praying/hoping/wishing the best for all the victims and families. He worked at the camp from 1996 to 2009 as a staff member and director. The Missouri committee will vote on the legislation soon, and survivors are urging others to send emails to committee members in support of the bill. On Thursday, Hastingssaid Kanakuk had filed no lawsuit against No More Victims since last year. In a motion filed in October, Kanakuk argued that the plaintiff cant hold the organization liable for Newmans actions because the Missouri Supreme Court has ruled that molesting children is a personal crime that is not a part of a persons job duties.. The bill also would allow civil actions that were barred or dismissed due to the civil statute of limitations to be revived within the confines of legislation. An unknown number of incidents were reported to camp leadership that went unacknowledged or unaddressed. On May 27, 2022, two days before the Kanakuk summer season started,USA Todaypublished a detailed report Survivors ,ex-employees say Kanakuk Christian camp ministered to its sexual predators. This national story drew from a collaboration withUSA TodaysMissouri affiliate which had released a three-piece investigative series earlier that week. Pete Newman is indicted and convicted of multiple counts of sex abuse against dozens of Kanakuk campers. I know a few boys were horribly hurt by this mans actions, but also thousands of children were irreparably harmed by the evil this role model was hiding. The final victim to speak at the hearing, Jody Jones, described how she felt following abuse that happened when she was just 8 years old in 1985, not knowing if she could tell anyone what happened to her. ", The letter-writers also said, "We are only a small fraction of the Kanakuk survivors, yet our collective abuse experiences span from the 1950s to 2022." A new lawsuit has been filed against Kanakuk Kamps. In the same speech, he also describes a man who had been incestuously abused by his father and encourages listeners to forgive their abusers to be freed from resentment. In Texas, HB 206, filed by Rep. Ann Johnson (D), and SB 751, filed by Sen. Pete Flores (R), propose the complete removal of civil statutes of limitation for sexual offenses against a child. "The law was telling me there was nothing to be done about it, and the clock had run out on me.". S/he should get help and a spell checker. The camp developed its Child Protection Plan in 2009, after one of its directors was arrested and charged with abusing children hed met at camp and through related ministries. Even defendants in this particular case, no matter how abhorrent, have a right to due process in the state of Missouri, and our job is to preserve the right to due process.. Each person who spoke with the CBS 11 I-Team says he or she, or a family member of his or hers, was sexually abused at Kanakuk Kamps sometime between 1999 and 2008. She later learned her abuser has worked with children at multiple institutions in the decades since her abuse, she said. If this camp had had AND ENFORCED a 2-adult policy, I doubt very much that Newman could have molested anyone, at least not without the active and on-the-spot cooperation of other adults. A Texas family notes in the obituary of a former camper that he was a survivor of Kanakuk Kamps abuse. That lawsuit was settled in April, also for an undisclosed amount. Keith Dygert, another victim of Kanakuk abuse, called Seitzs bill a bill that would truly be a massive step forward in protecting the victims of sexual abuse in Missouri. According to NCOSE, Kanakuk was put on the 2022 Dirty Dozen list due to multiple reports of child abuse at its camps, including one written by David and Nancy French for The Dispatch in March 2021. Survivors of child sexual abuse in Missouri can file civil action against perpetrators until they are 31 years old, and against other defendants -- which could include organizations -- until they are 26 years old. He testified he tried to move forward in life, including getting a college degree, getting married, and getting involved in his community. Others in support of the bill included a survivor of sexual abuse from a Boy Scouts leader in Missouri, a family member of a Boy Scouts sexual abuse victim who died by suicide, several advocates, and an attorney for victims of sexual abuse in Kansas City, who said he has to turn away "hundreds" of victims who are past the statute of limitations. The lawsuits allege camp officials knew about the mans troubling behavior, including swimming and riding four-wheelers in the nude with campers, but failed to remove him or keep him away from children. Victims of sexual abuse by former Kanakuk Kamp staffer Pete Newman (pictured above, currently serving 2 consecutive life sentences plus 30 years) have come The first civil lawsuits against Kanakuk and former Kanakuk Kamps Director Pete Newman alleging sexual abuse are filed on behalf of a Jane Doe and John Doe in Texas federal court. When i was a counselor we had very strict rules about being clothed at all times or after getting out of the shower making sure we were covered even while putting on our clothes. It is time for Joe White and the Kanakuk network to practice what it preaches. Actor and comedian Bill Cosby publicly endorses Kanakuks Kids Across America camp for urban youth, stating Kids Across America is doing what needs to be done with kids, and you need to become part of this place too.. I am happy that Newman received his punishment, but I am sad that this has caused problems for such a great camp. Dallas, TX 75201. The survivors, family members, and advocates who testified in favor of the bill argued that childhood sexual abuse survivors can take years to come forward -- and that evidence of institutional wrongdoing that would spur civil action can take years to come to light, too, necessitating a higher cap on the age limit. Ive just received this press release initiated by the Turley Law Firm. We agree with that. A lawsuit is filed in Missouri state court by a John Doe and his parentsalleging sexual abuse by Kanakuk Kamps. A jury trial had been scheduled for January, but the lawsuit which was moved to Christian County was settled in September for an undisclosed amount. L ogan Yandell is one of a string of young men who attended Kanakuk Kamps in the 2000s, who were groomed and abused by a popular counselor, and who Until then, Missouri is not safe for children., The law was telling me there was nothing to be done about it, and the clock had run out on me.. A lawsuit filed on behalf of John Doe XII alleging sexual assault is filed against former Kanakuk Kamps Director Pete Newman, currently serving two life sentences plus 30 years in Missouri state prison for sexual crimes. Survivors and family members of victims of sexual abuse at Kanakuk camps testified at a hearing before the Missouri House Judiciary Committee regarding a The lawsuits that have been settled were filed in Taney County and in U.S. District Court in Dallas. http://stopbaptistpredators.blogspot.com/2011/04/complicity-in-baptistland.html. On Twitter, find him at @GregHolmanNL. Through no fault of their own, children and/or the medically disabled who may have been abused in the past are being victimized again by not being able to hold the perpetrators to account in civil actions, he said. The string of lawsuits began after he went to prison. He was skilled, personable, friendly, outgoing, and passionate. He had a heart for others who were victims there as well, and he was a generous friend to those he could help. Newman is encouraged to host additional para-camp ministries, often one on one or in small groups, including his hot tub Bible studies, a practice he talks about in Kanakuk speeches and often uses as a location for abuse. This website is dedicated to sharing what is known and what needs to be brought to light. For years, a former staffer at Kanakuk Kamps, one of the countrys most popular Christian summer camps, abused dozens of boys. WebFor years, a former staffer at Kanakuk Kamps, one of the countrys most popular Christian summer camps, abused dozens of boys. We tell our staff we will work night and day to send any sort of offender to jail, for as long as possible. Sad story all the way around but the victims deserve whatever justice they can get for such an awful betrayal. I have been desperately trying to warn a church in MS about an admitted child sex offender who is a minister and was fired by Prestonwood Baptist for credible accusations of abuse by several boys in 1989. NCOSE leads the Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation with over 300 member organizations. There is a criminal sanction for those folks. An investigation by journalists Nancy and David French, who called Kanakuk "the worst Christian sex abuse scandal you've never heard of," first reported Kanakuk's alleged early knowledge of Newman's behavior. Wed add the need to ask for their policies on device usage (are campers or counselors allowed have them? The bill, H.B. If yes, when and where? Two similar lawsuits, both filed in 2011, were settled this year. This story was originally published December 1, 2013, 11:03 PM. Praise God. Joe White is a decent human being whose naivete must be gargantuan. It is time to hear their voices and experiences. Kanakuk leadership reacts in various ways, including visiting families to get more information and disallowing some reporting parents children to return to camp. "We're talking about organizations that cover up and they work together -- they work cohesively to make sure the truth doesn't come out. Then Pete Newman came to his school to promote a year-round ministry run by Kanakuk and began grooming Dygert for abuse. Whenever summer begins, so does the summer camp season. It is 52. Joe Whites private pilot, Robert John Morgan, who flies him to speaking engagements and medical appointments, is indicted on charges of sodomizing a female victim under the age of 14. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. They did, however, issue a statement regarding Newmans actions and their subsequent response. I know he never intended to employ a sexual predator. have a no private alone-time policy between adults and minors and, for that matter, teenage junior counselors and the children they are supervising, with exceptions only during emergencies and when those happen, a full report by the adult of who he was with, what he was doing, and why they had to be alone together. Stories like this are tragic, and a good reminder that you cant trust anyone completely when it comes to your kids. Signed statements by three Kanakuk leaders involved make no mention of promptly contacting law enforcement or legal authorities. I agree with namelessbased on the lawsuit, it seems the camp had knowledge that Pete Newmans criminal behavior dated back years and still employed him, putting countless other campers at risk. Victims of sexual abuse by former Kanakuk Kamp staffer Pete Newman (pictured above, currently serving 2 consecutive life sentences plus 30 years) have come forward and are taking legal action. WebSeveral former Kanakuk Kamps staff members have been convicted of child sexual abuse with more under suspicion but the true scope of their collective crimes remains This is unbelievable considering the PN case. I bring this bill forward because these horrors have even perpetrated my district, Seitz said. The abusive, criminal behavior Pete Newman admitted runs counter to everything Kanakuk Kamps has stood for over the past 85 years, the statement said. Threatened with outside legal action, Newman writes a confession letter. Even better is a two- or three-adult policy but this isnt feasible or really necessary in large-group settings like a classroom with 1 teacher and a dozen or more students in a school with other teachers in all of the nearby rooms. 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