Legislation to void non-disclosure agreements in child sexual abuse cases was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Mike Kehoe.
The bill has been called “Trey’s Law,” referring to the late Trey Carlock, who died by suicide in 2019 after being sexually abused by Pete Newman at the Branson-based Kanakuk Kamps.
Trey’s sister, Elizabeth Carlock, said at a hearing on the bill in February that he had to agree to an NDA as a condition of his settlement with the camp.
“Trey told someone just before his death that ‘they’ll always control me and I’ll never be free,’” Carlock said in February. “…A lot of truth dies with people because of NDAs, and that only protects bad actors, which is contrary to public interest.”
Non-disclosure agreements signed after Aug. 28, 2025 will no longer be enforceable for childhood sexual abuse claims under the new law.
Texas also passed a law banning NDAs in child sex abuse cases this session, which awaits the governor’s signature. Tennessee enacted similar legislation in 2018.
Keith Dygert, who was also abused by Newman, reached a settlement with a non-disclosure agreement, he testified at the February hearing. But only after signing it did he learn more from news articles about the extent of Newman’s abuse and Kanakuk’s possible knowledge, he said.
Dygert said NDAs have “undeniably prevented proper and timely healing…by silencing victims when sharing their stories in their own time, in their own way.”
He said it was worth his taking the risk of breaking his NDA to speak out.
“When victims are silenced, the truth is also silenced, and the institutions that helped enable child sexual abuse are protected,” Dygert said.
Kanakuk director Pete Newman pleaded guilty in 2010 to seven counts of sexual abuse, and the prosecutor said Newman’s victim count might be in the hundreds. Newman is currently serving two life sentences plus 30 years in prison.
Kanakuk leadership maintains that they had no advanced knowledge of his behavior, and Newman was a “master of deception.”
The legislation received little opposition as a standalone measure in the House and Senate.
Versions of the underlying NDA bill were sponsored by Republican state Rep. Brian Seitz from Branson and Republican state Sen. Brad Hudson from Cape Fair.
The NDA ban passed as part of a broader public safety package sponsored by Republican state Sen. Kurtis Gregory of Marshall and Republican state Rep. Tim Taylor of Bunceton.
The bill also includes provisions to:
- Allow spouses of law enforcement officers to obtain professional licenses more quickly;
- Extend the sunset date for line of duty compensation for families of public safety officers who die on duty;
- Expand the authority for state agencies to require fingerprint-based criminal background checks,
- Reauthorize the fee for the emergency response commission;
- And modernize firework laws.
“Public safety remains one of our top priorities, and with this bill, we are reinforcing that with real action,” Kehoe said in a press release Tuesday. “From improving oversight and licensing to supporting law enforcement and victims of childhood abuse, this legislation gives the state the tools it needs to strengthen public safety measures.”
This story was originally published by the Missouri Independent.
