"A short statute of limitations can be lethal, as my family knows," Phillips said, later adding: "I used to refer to him as a survivor. 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. All rights reserved. Kanakuk: Joe Alarcon, father of Ashton Alarcon from Amarillo, Texas, spoke in Texas on behalf of Kanakuk survivors, including his son, who was abused in multiple states, including Texas, he said. Kanakuk did not report the allegations above to the police. 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. As a child growing up in Branson, Hoffpauir was involved with Kanakuk's youth ministries, and said he was abused by Kanakuk director Pete Newman from 1999-2003. Joe White continued to promote Pete and bury complaints of those outside the camp who had witnessed suspicious behavior, Dygert said. 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. The survivor community says more such incidents took place and involvedother adults. And anything that wouldn't be an extension of that would be something very difficult for us to understand," AuBuchon said. I didnt have the words or the support. Newman and Kanakuk Kamps founder and president Joe White are also defendants in the suit. The abuse included all types of sexual activity except kissing, the lawsuit alleges, and occurred in camp cabins, the pool, showers, the gym, on promotional trips to other states and at the boys home. I am now a 45-year-old woman with what I consider to be great strength, and it takes a lot of courage to get up here today and say this. It shouldnt have been done. Michael Essma of the Kansas City law firm Shook, Hardy, and Bacon testified on behalf of the American Tort Reform Association. However, if you have fewer than a handful of kids a 2nd adult provides accountability and deterrence, and if you have more kids than one adult can safely manage then a 2nd adult is needed from a pure management perspective. And not all even survive.. As a child growing up in Branson, Hoffpauir was involved with Kanakuk's youth ministries, and said he was abused by Kanakuk director Pete Newman from 1999 He pleaded guilty in Taney County in 2010 to two counts of first-degree statutory sodomy, three counts of second-degree statutory sodomy and three counts of child enticement. Kanakuk Kamps worked extensively with authorities to provide information used in the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Newman. No one suggested we call the authorities, or that its a felony, or we should let someone know who has real authority to do something about it. If this bill is passed, any victim of child sexual abuse in Missouri would have the ability to take legal action against their perpetrator of sexual violence until the victim turns 55. He had a heart for others who were victims there as well, and he was a generous friend to those he could help. A new report argues a yearslong abuse scandal from a prominent former director at Branson-area Kanakuk Kamps was more widespread and systemic than Newman, now 38, received two life sentences plus 30 years. A representative answering Kanakuk'smain phone switchboardreferred all questions to an email account for camp communications. The No More Victims letter also asksthat the camp "admit to known failures"including "dismissing clear signs of predatory behavior and child sexual abuse, as well as covering up said abuses once known.". 2023 www.news-leader.com. Addressed to Kanakuk CEO White but unsigned and undated, theletter outlines three demands from the survivor community: First, that the nationally-known evangelical camp agree to an outside investigation conducted by a law firm, with a goal of documenting abuse accusations the letter says have been kept secret to date. Newmans duties with Kanakuk included recruiting, supervising and mentoring children. Four people testified in opposition to the bill, representing business and insurance -- with particular opposition to the portion of the bill which opens a window for a revival of claims. After the criminal trial, civil lawsuit allegations emerged accusing other Kanakuk counselors and the camp administration of being aware of Newman's activitiesbefore Newman's criminal conviction, including incidents reported in 1999 and 2003. Newman isnt the only Kanakuk employee to be convicted of sexual abuse. 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. 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 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. Monday's hearing was on legislation that would extend the civil statute of limitations for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. He said he grew up in Branson near Kanakuk and wanted to go there but his family couldnt afford it. Parents and campers regularly report to Joe White and other camp leaders about incidents of Newmans nudity with campers. This is a matter of life and death, she said. Sources tell the Branson Tri-Lakes News committee members are split on whether to pass the bill. I work at a camp similar to Kanakuk. Kamp didnt help to hold him accountable in my eyes, Jones said. My heart breaks for everyone involved. she never told anyone until 10 years later, she was so ashamed and embarrassed. Again I say, we need Jesus, especially me, man I probably need Jesus more than Pete. A short statute of limitations can be lethal as my family knows, and another form of rape.. But Kanakuks reputation and reach conceals a dark secret. 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.. For more than a decade, Evan Hoffpauir believed the camp director who sexually abused him at the Branson-area Kanakuk Kamps had acted alone. The abusive, criminal behavior Pete Newman admitted runs counter to everything Kanakuk Kamps has stood for over the past 85 years, the statement said. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of News Tribune Publishing. I know it. The editor evenposted a special piece about the process of investigating Kanakukwhich explained that, in deference to the brave survivors who came forward, they were making the articles available for free. Vice News speaks with survivors, who say the Those who identify as survivors, along with family members, sent an open letter to camp leadership Thursday with their demands. WebSurvivors and family members of victims of sexual abuse at Kanakuk camps testified at a hearing before the Missouri House Judiciary Committee regarding a bill proposed by local state Rep. Brian Seitz to change laws to help survivors of childhood sexual assault. Part of a long list of survivors, Logan Yandell recently rejoined the fight against sexual abuse at Kanakuk Kamps by filing a petition for fraud. The abusive, criminal behavior Pete Newman admitted runs counter to everything Kanakuk Kamps has stood for over the past 85 years, the statement said. Two additional civil lawsuits are filed in Missouri on behalf of John Doe X and John Doe XI, alleging sexual abuses and negligence in more cases against Pete Newman. Despite multiple indictments and convictions, the sex scandals surrounding Kanakuk have never received the attention needed to bring about real change. That is why being informed is the only way to prevent or stop such atrocities from happening. Jody Jones testified about her abuse at Kanakuk, and how the camp staff contacted her mother and encouraged her not to reach out to authorities. 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. Morgan is convicted and sentenced to 10 years for statutory sodomy. Joe Whites private pilot, Robert John Morgan, is indicted on incest charges against his biological child. Jody Jones, who flew from Utah to testify, was a camper at Kanakuk in 1985, when she was 8. Former Kanakuk Kamps counselor Lee Bradberry pleads guilty to two Class B felonies of first-degree child molestation, a Class D felony of sexual misconduct involving a child under 15, and an unclassified felony of first-degree attempted statutory sodomy with a person under 14 years old. "The law was telling me there was nothing to be done about it, and the clock had run out on me.". The bill would extend the age limitation for victims bringing civil action against any perpetrator of sexual violence or torturous acts against a vulnerable victim to 55. 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.. http://stopbaptistpredators.blogspot.com/2011/04/complicity-in-baptistland.html. Evan Hoffpauir, a victim of Pete Newman, said the trauma and embarrassment caused him to hide what had happened to him. It led him to settle and sign a non-disparagement agreement at a time when only a small portion of the story was actually known, he said. If this bill is passed, Texas child sexual abuse victims could take legal action against their perpetrators for the rest of their lives. Your email address will not be published. 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. If yes, when and where? Im just glad I dont live at 8200 No More Victims Road. Ed Ringheim, a former counselor, bus chaperone and volunteer for K-Life is sentenced to 15 years in Florida state prison for the sexual abuse of children. Webownership of the camp and many Kanakuk affiliates are alleged to have abused youth from the 1950s-today. Rep. David Tyson Smith, D-Columbia, along with other lawmakers, disagreed with those opposed. Let your courts hear these cases. Registered in North Carolina in March 2021, No More Victims sponsors FactsAboutKanakuk.com, a websitepublicizing abuse allegations linked to the camp. We try to watch our staff, and campers, and each other, like hawks. Although it is coming out about Kanakuk leadership putting him on probation in 1999 and 2003, I have complete faith that they only knew about the streaking(which is inappropriate but probably not criminal). 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. Kanakuk Kamps, a Branson-based Christian sports camp network that draws thousands of youths every summer many from the Kansas City area is facing two lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by a former director. , Seitz emphasized the long-term importance of the bill for child sexual abuse victims and survivors. Such surveillance and check-ins deter anyone who has ulterior motives who slipped through screening. Many victims fight for years amidst trauma, depression, suicidal thoughts, and shame, and it takes them years to be ready to tell their stories, if ever, and not all even survive.. We encourage you to read them yourselves to truly understand the full scope of abuse and institutional wrong-doing by Kanakuk. This website is dedicated to sharing what is known and what needs to be brought to light. The acts perpetrated upon these people are wrong. Joe White is a decent human being whose naivete must be gargantuan. A Kanakuk spokesman said camp officials could not discuss pending litigation. i have a good friend whose daughter was raped by a camp employee in kerrville many years ago. What you see here is bringing a claim for 55 years, and a reviver action, bringing them back from where they were no longer, and thats a violation of due process, AuBuchon said. In reading the lawsuit, the camp had to know. 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. Thursday's open letter is not the camp's first brush with No More Victims. 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