‘It feels like a slap in the face to victims’: Midstate sex abuse survivor rallies support to keep former youth camp counselor behind bars

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - A Midstate sex abuse survivor is speaking out, rallying support to keep a former Christian youth camp counselor behind bars and not granted parole.

“It feels like a slap in the face to victims,” explained Hendersonville survivor, Logan Yandell, who told WSMV4’s Holly Thompson his abuser was convicted and should serve his life sentence behind bars.

“This isn’t one incident that put somebody behind bars for 15 years, this is one of the most prolific child abusers of all time that almost no one knows about.”

In 2010 Pete Newman pleaded guilty and was convicted on several felony counts of sexually abusing boys while serving in camp leadership roles. Yandell was one of those boys.

Newman had been a camp counselor and later camp director at Kanakuk Kamps, one of the country’s largest Christian camps located in Missouri and attended by many Middle Tennessee youth.

“Knowing that his man is supposed to serve two life sentences for these sexual crimes and has a chance of parole now, how does that make you feel?” asked Thompson.

“Fifteen years is not enough time for that amount of sentencing,” said Yandell.

Yandell, other survivors and victims’ families are collecting statements and signatures online at ProtestPetesParole.com, and it’s now topping more than 1,000 signatures. Their goal is to ensure that Newman is not granted parole.

Yandell let WSMV4 read his personal statement and said it would also be read at Wednesday’s parole hearing. He told Thompson that the hearing should have only one outcome, “Pete Newman deserves to remain behind bars.”

WSMV4 will continue to follow this story and provide updates.

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