BRANSON (MO)
Baptist News Global [Jacksonville FL]
September 17, 2025
By Catherine Storke
A child is sexually assaulted every 9 minutes in the United States, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. Over the past two decades, there have been more than 60,000 documented cases of child sexual abuse. Three out of 10 victims have been younger than 12 years of age.
But perhaps the most chilling statistic of all is that 98% of sexual assault perpetrators walk free. Most abusers are never held fully accountable for their actions by the criminal justice system, while victims and their communities are left to contend with a lifetime of psychological trauma.
Despite overwhelming evidence of such a blatant and pervasive injustice, many seem to have been lured into a false sense of security concerning issues of systemic sexual abuse and national progress in combatting this issue. Legal constraints, waning public awareness and a cultural ethos of jaded dismissal have made it increasingly difficult for survivors to tell their stories and to instigate lasting change. RAINN reports that 33% of victims decide not to report their abuse because they either “feared retaliation” or “believed the police would not do anything to help.”
We find ourselves in a historical moment where it is still far from easy to speak out against abuse — whether sexual, emotional or religious — and against abusers in positions of authority. But it is more important than ever to resist this growing complacency and to re-empower victims who have been silenced by amplifying their voices.
Today, Baptist News Global debuts a new limited-episode podcast called “Non-Disclosure: The Silenced Stories of Kanakuk Kamps Survivors.” This podcast exemplifies the kind of critical storytelling needed, featuring in-depth, firsthand accounts from survivors of sexual abuse at the Christian camp based in Branson, Mo.
The first two episodes are available now at Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. Find the Prequel here and Episode 1 here.
This series includes first-person accounts of sexual abuse survivors and their family members, as well as an interview with journalist Nancy French, who was one of the first national figures to bring this abuse to light.
Hundreds of instances of child sexual abuse throughout the early 2000s were perpetrated by staff member Peter “Pete” Newman. While Newman is currently serving two life sentences plus 30 years, Kanakuk Kamps remains in operation with locations across eight states churning out $37.8 million in annual revenue as of 2023. And he was not the only perpetrator of sexual abuse at the camp.
“Pete gained the trust of his community and used that trust to entice potential victims; once he was able to isolate kids, he was able to begin grooming them,” podcast host Mallory Challis explains in Episode 1.
Many Kanakuk abuse survivors and their families have been subject to silence under strict non-disclosure agreements as part of their legal settlements with the camp. Recent headway has been made with the passage of bills like Trey’s Law in both Missouri and Texas, which ends the enforcement of NDAs in child sexual abuse cases, allowing survivors to talk publicly and candidly about their experiences. Yet many barriers remain for survivors and their families in the 45 states without a similar version of Trey’s Law in effect who often are intimidated into silence by NDAs with unclear enforceability.
“While many survivors of child sexual abuse and trafficking choose to never disclose their stories,” clarifies the Trey’s Law informational website, “others find going public and/or filing legal action to be a critical step in their healing journey.” Trey’s Law aims to place this crucial decision back in the hands of the victim.
Beyond the immediate legal challenges facing sexual abuse survivors, the release of “Non-Disclosure” coincides with a dangerous political climate of censorship, prejudice and corruption that makes it difficult for victims to call out powerful institutions with white evangelical men at the helm. Accusers risk public backlash that is more politically charged than before. In a modern, post-“Me Too” era, many right-wing figures have capitalized on anti-feminist sentiments to denigrate accusers and to redeem once-taboo perpetrators of abuse. Joe Rogan told his podcast listeners in March, “I can’t believe I’m on Harvey Weinstein’s side.”
What once was a collective spirit of encouragement for sexual abuse survivors to share their stories can sometimes now feel more like a closed book.
But Challis, who has reported extensively on Kanakuk sexual abuse cases since 2023, sees “Non-Disclosure” as a window of opportunity for the survivor community.
“The Kanakuk story, in particular, is compelling because it showcases what happens when stories of abuse are brought to light: Injustice is exposed and arrested by the truth, and that truth sets survivors free,” she said. “Because of the bravery of survivors, their families and others willing to share their experiences with us in this podcast, the intricate web of mechanisms that make abuse possible in a Christian institution like Kanakuk is made clear.”
“The story is about Kanakuk,” she said, “but it is bigger than that.”
Although Newman’s sexual abuse of young campers occurred more than 10 years ago, the repercussions of his actions, as well as those of the 70 other alleged perpetrators, continue to impact countless lives.
“By listening to the voices of survivors, we can learn how to make our institutions safer — from changes in vetting policies to examinations of theologies that abusers weaponize,” Challis said. “We must care about these stories because these injustices happen in Christian institutions every day. Survivors everywhere continue to live in the bondage of silence, and this truth has the power to set them free.”
The first two episodes of “Non-Disclosure” are available now as part of BNG’s “Change-making Conversations” program. Additional episodes will drop weekly on Wednesdays.