Ep. 400: New Website Campaigns Against Kanakuk Sex Abuser Pete Newman’s Opportunity for Parole

“Protect Children. Support Survivors. Protest Pete Newman’s Parole!” are the opening lines readers will see when they click on the new website, protestpetesparole.com.

As the September 25 parole hearing for serial child sexual abuser Peter Newman quickly approaches, survivors and advocates continue to call for support in urging the Missouri Department of Corrections Board and Parole to deny his possible release. Previously, survivors and advocates have urged concerned citizens to write letters to the parole board expressing their grievances regarding Newman’s crimes.

This new website reminds viewers of these instructions. It also offers viewers a way to fill out an online form to submit their letters directly to the parole board. The form includes the option to submit an editable pre-loaded statement or follow a template to craft your own.

In addition to letter-writing, the website also links to a petitionagainst Newman’s parole, which will be “submitted to the Missouri Parole Board as part of Newman’s hearing.”

Despite being sentenced to two life terms plus 30 years — a total of 90 years, with 30 counting for each life sentence — Newman is eligible for parole after serving just 15. This is the minimum portion of his sentence that must be completed, according to RSMo 217.690 which mandates that offenders serving multiple sentences totaling 45 or more years must complete at least 50% of one sentence before parole eligibility.

After a hearing, the parole board typically takes eight to 12 weeks to come to a decision. If Newman’s parole is denied, he will be eligible for a reconsideration hearing every one to five years until a release date is established. The new website reminds viewers that all evidence from the Sept. 25 hearing can be used in future hearings, including contributions to the petition as supporters continue to sign.

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In the event Newman were to be granted parole, he would go to an offender treatment program for “approximately 12 months of therapy and a Sex Offender Assessment Process,” designed to help offenders reintegrate into regular society and prevent recidivism, the website explains.

However, survivors and advocates note concerns regarding his ability to avoid returning to abuse.

According to Elizabeth Carlock Phillips’ statement, while the prosecution estimates Newman’s victim count to be in the hundreds, “clinical experts estimate (the count) to be between 2,000 and 5,000 due to the patterns of his perpetration, (his) amount of unfettered access and time with children year-round and the victim count known at sentencing.” She argues the impact of his crimes is far deeper than a simple felony charge, calling him a “murderer” who “butchered the souls of boys with his deceit and abuse, some even to their graves.”

Phillips’ submitted her statement on behalf of her late brother, Trey Carlock, who died by suicide due to the traumatic effects of his abuse by Newman. She says Trey was “silenced to his grave” by Newman’s abuse compounded by further civil litigations, which included a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

This article was originally published by Baptist News Global. It is reprinted with permission.