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The parents of a Texas boy who was allegedly sexually molested by former Kanakuk Kamp director Pete Newman at the Taney County based youth camp want a federal judge to grant them an injuction/and or a restraining order against Kanakuk and its CEO Joe White.
The Turner Report broke the news that on July 13, 2011, the plaintiff's listed as John and Jane Doe, acting behalf of their son who attended the camp from 2005 - 2007, say that White and Kanakuk have not left them alone since a federal lawsuit they brought against White, Kanukuk, et. al, was filed on March 11.
According to those documents, White and Kanakuk officials began contacting them on April 7th. "Since appearing in this case, defendants have maintained regular communications with the plaintiffs, directly, by way of mail, telephone, and e-mail, despite repeated requests (from both plaintiffs and plaintiffs' counsel) that they not do so."
The latest contact with the family was on July 8th, when "a package from Defendant White and his wife, arrived at the Doe home," according to court records. The continued contact has compounded the boy's "emotional and psychological problems that stem from his sexual abuse."
The latest motion asks for a hearing as soon as possible.
The Turley Law Firm filed the $10 million federal lawsuit against White, Newman, and Kanakuk after the Texas boy and other's were molested at the camp and that White ignored the situation and promoted Newman instead of firing him.
In the federal lawsuit attorney's allege, "At least as early as 1999, Defendant Joe T. White, Kanakuk Ministries and/or Kanakuk Heritage, Inc. knew that Newman, in the nude, was riding four-wheelers at the 'kamp' with nude 'kampers,' who were minor children entrusted to the care of Defendants. In response to this sexually inappropriate behavior, Newman was placed on probation."
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| Peter Daniel Newman (mug shot MDOC) |
The court records go on to say, "In or about 2003, a nude Defendant Newman was streaking through the 'kamp' property with nude minor 'kampers.' Although this conduct came to the attention of Defendants Joe T. White, Kanakuk Ministries, and/or Kanakuk, Heritage, Inc., again Newman remained on staff in easy reach of his future victims, including John Doe I."
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The federal lawsuit was the second to be filed against Newman and Kanakuk, and the first to be filed against Joe White individually.
The first lawsuit was filed in Taney County on January 31st by Mike Merrell and Alabama attorney G. Rick DiGiorgio on behalf of a Little Rock man who was 12 years old when Newman began molesting him. That case has since been moved to Christian County on a change of venue that was requested by defense attorney's.
The plaintiff, who is now 19 years old, says officials at the youth camp swept reports of Newman's sexual abuse of campers under the rug and continued to employ him because he generated a huge amount of revenue for the company.
In a cost saving measure for the camp, Newman often asked families that had children active in Kanakuk's ministry if he could stay in their home while he was plugging "purity" for the camp. At the time of those visits the families were unaware that Newman was either sexually abusing their children or attempting to groom them for sexual abuse.
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| Edward L. Ringheim |
In March of this year Edward L. Ringheim of from Windermere, Florida, was charged with seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious molestation
Ringheim worked at Universal Studios and volunteered for K-Life in Orlando. Authorities allege he used free passes to the amusement park as enticement to molest some of the boys he accompanied to Branson.
Newman pleaded guilty in Taney County last year to several sex offenses involving underage male campers and is serving two life sentences, plus 30 years at the Jefferson City Correctional Center .
