Pete Newman - Former Kanakuk Counselor Statement to Judge Orr at Sentencing (Full video) 1 of 3 Posts

Former Kanakuk counselor Pete Newman received two life sentences plus thirty years handed down from Circuit Judge Mark Orr for sexually abusing children at the Branson based Christian Camp..

The total number of children sexually abused by Pete Newman is unknown; however, law enforcement officials in several states are taking or considering taking action against against the convicted child sex offender.

The probable cause statement which alludes to molestation that occurred during Bible study sessions hosted at Newman's house among other places including religious sanctuaries on the Kanakuk property.

A first reaction and the probable cause statement was posted on the Branson News Blog in September 2009.

Eugene Ward of Branson to be sentenced as Oscar Richardson of Florida

Pete Newman, former Kanakuk Counselor, Faces New Charges In Colorado For inappropriate Relations with a Child

Former Kanakuk Counselor Pete Newman was arrested yesterday as he re-appeared in Taney County for a change of venue motion.


The Taney County change of venue motion will likely move the case to Christian County. Taney County Prosecutor Jeff Merrell said Newman's motion will most likely succeed due to the fact Taney County has less than 75,000 residents.
Newman was out on bail as new charges were filed in Durango, Colorado. Newman was arrested on four charges filed in Colorado, three for 2nd Degree Sexual Assault with a child and one as an out-of-state fugitive.
According to Taney County Jail records, Newman was detained at 10:00 A.M. yesterday, January 20th 2010.
Newman is scheduled to re-appear on the 4th of February in Taney County and it's unclear how the new charges filed in Colorado will affect the case or whether Newman will fight extradition.

Newman was initially arrested after files were charged by the Taney County Prosecutor's Ofiice in September of last year. After being re-arrested for failure to appear (Newman showed up a few minutes late for court which irritaed Judge Tony Williams) Newman was released on bail a second time after spending a few hours in jail.

Kanakuk Camps recently reorganized as a non-profit and succesfully recieved a tax waiver from Taney County last month. Some of the property is currently owned by founder Joe White.

Pete Newman, Former Kanukuk Counselor out on bail hours after 8 hours in jail

Former Kanakuk counselor Pete Newman is no longer in custody at the Taney County Jail just hours after Judge Tony Williams raised Newman's required bond.

The original charges allegating Newman used his position as a youth pastor to commit crimes against young men were posted in the Branson,Missouri blog on Sept. 16th. The articles title emphasized the unusually small bond amount set in Tony Williams courtroom last month: Pete Newman Charged With Sexual Assault Against Children Posts 50k Bond.

Taney County Prosecutor Jeff Merrill stated he didn't remember the amount of bail set for Newman during an interview with a small regional newspaper last month. Considering the nature of the charges, bail was set surprisingly low. Due to the unusually low bail set, the amount was posted in the original article.

Newman was arrested after appearing 14 minutes late for a hearing yesterday resulting in a firm reaction from Judge Tony Williams who verbally scolded client and attorney as they walked into the courtroom. Williams was drafting Newman's arrest warrant after they entered the courtroom.

Williams asked a pointed question to Merrill which served a dual purpose. Before resetting Newman's bail amount, Judge Williams asked Merrill for a recommend amount. Almost uniformly, Judges follow the recommendation of prosecutors when it comes to such decisions. With the watchful eye of the media present William's query allowed Merrill to save face on the high profile case.

Merrill asked and received an increased bond of $100k which is standard in similar cases. A witness present in the courtroom stated she'd warned Kanakuk officials about Newman's behavior in 2006 and Merrill has stated in two separate interviews that other potential victims have stepped forward with claims of sexual misconduct by Newman.

Regardless of Merrill's verbal statements to the press, which include, allusions to the probability of new charges being filed no new charges have been filed to date. Of the 16 "victims" cited in the Taney County Sherrif's Office Probable Cause Statement, only two counts of sexual conduct with a child under 15, one count of second-degree sodomy and one count of child enticement have been pressed by the Taney County Prosecutor's Office.

The $100,000 bond required the Newman family to produce an additional %5,000 to secure Pete Newman's release. The transaction was complete 8 hours later with records showing Newman's release at 6:15 from Taney County's Jail in Forsyth, MO.

Newman has been instructed by the court to return Nov. 17th ans was previously forced to surrender his passport and refrain from contact with minors.

Kanakuk 10 Year Staff Member Pete Newman Charged With Sexual Assault Against Children Posts 50k Bond

Over the past couple of days I've been talking to people that were pastored by the former Kanakuk Counselor accused of sexually abusing children through ministry. He was released after a few hours for a mere $50,000 bail or 5,000 cash to a bondsman. His next court appearance is slated for late October. His freedom is contingent on him having no contact with anyone under 17.

This hurts us all.

The shocking details aren't limited to the details submitted to Judge Tony Williams in a probable cause statement drafted by the Taney County Sheriff's Department.

The accusations and charges filed against Peter Newman are being published here.


This hurts a successful ministry.

Kanakuk is internationally known for their high dollar Christian Sports Camp, a charity camp that runs in tandem for inner city kids and international contribution to evangelism.

I recall a sermon by Ted Cunningham of Woodland Hills Community Church, who is heavily affilliated with Kanakuk. Cunningham had recently welcomed a minister who was stripped of the "clothe" for similar circumstances. The congregation fell silent as Cunningham challenged attendents to forgive the hanus acts against children as a Christian. You could hear a pin drop in the room. For many of us an act of harming a child is worse than murdering an adult - impossible to forgive. Perhaps most would be hard pressed to find room for mercy and grace when the crimes hurt the most innocent with such long term effects. Lives ruined.

This breaks my heart.

The final page of the probable cause statement deals a profound blow. The suggestion is Newman's entire ministry could be summed up as a "grooming process" to identify victims. The details of Bible studies, outings, personal interest into leading children to live Christian lives all in vain for the most perverse personal benefits.

This hurts our families.

A friend of mine from the Charismatic Branch of Christian Practice submits Hebrews 4:15:

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin."

For most of us it's hard to imagine what this type of temptation entails - Christian or Athiest alike.

This hurts our community.

From a civic perspective the recent aftermath is equally as shocking. An eight page testimony led Kanakuk Leaders to report the incident which resulted in Newman's firing mid-summer. After leaving Kanakuk, post Newman's admission to crimes against children there are records that he continued to pursue ministry.

Former Missouri Governor Matt Blunt issued a press release promoting the execution of those who abuse children under the age of 12. Missouri Senator Jack Goodman echoed his support for such legislation boasting a move to give life sentences for the crime as a positive move. But most who commit these types of crimes have far lighter sentences.

This hurts our state.

Kanakuk's damage control was swift as Joe White distributed a personal e-mail shortly before a warrant for Peter Newman was issued.

"For the last 34 years, Debbie Jo and I have poured our hearts and prayers into this beloved place. Therefore it is with a heavy heart that I am writing to you today regarding a difficult situation.

"Because you are an important part of the Kanakuk family, we wanted to make you aware that earlier today, the Taney County Missouri prosecutor filed a four-count criminal complaint against our former employee, Pete Newman. As you may know, Pete Newman was employed at K-Kountry. The prosecutor’s criminal charges allege that Pete engaged in sexually inappropriate behavior with adolescent boys, including some who had been Kanakuk Kampers.

"When we became aware of this situation we took immediate action, terminating Pete Newman’s employment. Since that time, we have been working closely with the affected families and appropriate authorities. We reported what we knew to investigators and stayed in contact throughout the process, providing whatever assistance we could. We have also offered our assistance to the impacted families.

"Our fervent prayers are with those who have been impacted. We look forward to the completion of the legal process to ensure that justice is served.

"As you know, Pete Newman's alleged behavior is counter to everything we believe in, everything we stand for and everything we work to instill in the young people who come to us seeking to grow personally and in their relationship with Christ. In fact, for years, we have had very clear policies and extensive training in place for all staff regarding appropriate behavior. Our staff members go through background checks, personal interviews and extensive training on our policies.

"We understand the difficulty that this situation causes you and your children. We pledge to work with you to help you address questions your children may have. Kanakuk is a family, and families often face challenging times. We also pledge that Kanakuk will continue to do all we can to champion efforts to prevent inappropriate behavior from occurring at any camp.

"If you have questions or concerns about this situation, please e-mail me at joe@kanakuk.com.

"Thank you for being part of the Kanakuk family.

"In Christ,
Joe White"

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On Tuesday, Doug Goodwin, chief operating officer of Kanakuk Kamps, issued this statement:

"Our camp family was deeply saddened and shocked to learn of the allegations involving a former employee. The alleged behavior is counter to everything we believe in, everything we stand for and everything we work to instill in the young people who come to us seeking to grow personally and in their relationship with Christ.

"Our prayers and thoughts are with those who have been affected, and we have worked closely with authorities investigating this matter.

"Most importantly, we have offered our assistance to the alleged victims and their families. We are committed to protecting their privacy, and we cannot say anything further about the allegations at this time.

"For years, we have had very clear policies and extensive training in place for all staff regarding appropriate behavior. Our staff members go through background checks. In light of this situation, we’ve reviewed and, where appropriate, updated our policies to reinforce our commitment to the families we serve."

The "alleged acts" took place over ten years leading many ponder how many children were victims, what damages Kanakuk will have to pay and if the ministry even has a future. After a swine-flu outbreak at their Stone County facility, no-one could imagine anything worse happening to the reputation of the camp.

**At this time, Counselors who keep personal blogs and websites with photos of campers would be wise to edit posts which could identify campers.

Great efforts from the court and the press will be taken to ensure the identities of the victims will remain hidden.

Undoubtedly, there will be more brave young men coming forward as they gain understanding this isn't their fault and it's likely more charges will be filed.

Jeff Merrell charges disbarred attorney with help of Jay Nixon

Charge filed against disbarred attorney for allegedly representing himself as general counsel for a business (As Released by the Missouri Attorney General's Office Dec 11, 2007)

Forsyth, Mo. — A Monett man who was disbarred as an attorney ten years ago for embezzling from a charitable trust for which he was trustee now faces a criminal charge that he misrepresented himself as a general counsel in a business letter. Taney County Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Merrell, with the assistance of Attorney General Jay Nixon, filed the charge of deceptive business practice against Garry E. Champion (DOB — 1/6/48) of Monett.

The charge alleges Champion recklessly made a false or misleading written statement, namely a letter in which he signed as “general counsel” for a Missouri business in a real estate transaction, in order to obtain money that had been deposited in an escrow fund.

In 1997, Nixon obtained a court order in Greene County removing Champion as sole trustee of the Edith M. Short Trust. The Attorney General brought the action because in the previous five years since Champion had become trustee, beneficiaries had not received payments as provided in the trust and trust assets were depleted from more than $700,000 to approximately $25,000. Champion later was convicted in federal court of embezzling from the trust and lost his Missouri law license.

Deceptive business practice is a class A misdemeanor under Missouri law, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. As in all criminal cases, the charge against the defendant is merely an accusation, and he is presumed innocent until or unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Meth

If members of the Combined Ozark Multi-Jurisdictional Enforcement Task Force (COMET) are looking for job security - they have it.

Having had great success with reducing the number of home grown meth-amphetamine cooking operations in South Eastern Missouri appears to have increased the complexity for law enforcement.

Meth is and continues to be a problem. Cooks have become increasingly sophisticated and byproducts further away from anything regulated or designed to have compatibility with the human body. Think household gin during prohibition, with dynamite grade combustion scenarios and a thousand times more addictive.

Junkies faces are easily identifiable with sunken cheeks and bulging eyes as if they were watching the climax of a horror flick.

The panicked look of Taney County addict reveals the story of COMET's recent busts. The cycle begins again. The poisonous fruits - meth's core ingredients - begin flowing north through the Arkansas border.

Meth's victims ensure demand rises faster than supply can be regulated.

Since regulations have slowed Missouri production, demand has triggered new supply routes through the Mexican border providing high grade - as many addicts call it - Nazi Grade product.

Though meth addiction permeates social and economic barriers its dominance lays clearly within the environment of the very poor - unlike Meth's sister - cocaine.

Cocaine supply is limited to smaller circles and seems to provide a greater challenge for police and seems to flow with relative safety.

The Taney County Prosecutor's office and 38th Circuit Judges are trying to determine the difference between addicts and dealers. The strategy is to treat addicts medically and increase sentencing and responsibility for suppliers.

One case, or experiment - involves prosecuting a meth-dealer with Murder charges. The legal precedent hasn't been fully established but has a favorable outlook.

They are attempting to prosecute Adam Larkin on second degree murder charges. The Taney County Prosecutor's office asserts Larkin supplied Keith Peckinpaugh with meth-amphetamines resulting in Peckinpaugh's overdose and death.

On the treatment side, drug courts seem to be an effective alternative for addicts - if they can be viewed as victims. The program usually involves 30 - 60 days shock time with a year of counseling and other mechanisms - which include monthly visits with Judge Mark Orr. They try to get to the root of the problem. The strongest argument for the programs success in reducing "crack babies". Department of Corrections stats state over 35 Taney and Christian county children have been born drug free in the last year.

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The picture above was taken in June 2007 of a meth-addict prying out a tooth. At first she didn't want the picture shot, I purchased pizza for her and her children and promised not to publish her whole face.

Taney County Prisoners Escape Jail Still on Run

Casey Matthew Moore
Nathan Anthony Brown
The two Taney County Jail prisoners that escaped monday are still on the loose. Casey Moore and Nathan Anthony Brown escaped after negotiating there way through a ceiling area - finding their way down into a room and escaping through a window. Brown was being held on charges for statutory rape and probation violations. Moore was being held on a variety of charges including several robbery/theft related charges. The Taney County Prosecutor has already filed charges in regards to the escape.
Area facilities who work with children have functioned under lock down.