SAN ANTONIO – Sexual assault survivors statewide who were forced into silence by non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are set to experience a newfound freedom.
Trey’s Law just passed in Texas, the strongest law of its kind in the United States. The new law voids all sexual assault non-disclosure agreements.
Elizabeth Phillips said she has and always will fight for her brother, Trey Carlock.
“I’m Trey’s big sister, and I always say that applies in life and in death,” said Phillips.
Carlock was groomed and sexually abused for a decade by the director of Kanukuk Christian Summer Camp, starting when he was 7 years old.
In 2010, Carlock’s abuser, Peter Newman, was sentenced to two life sentences plus 30 years in prison for abusing six underage campers. A new lawsuit alleges 57 victims of Newman.
Phillips said Kanakuk and its agents forced settlements on “John Does” like Carlock, which included restrictive non-disclosure agreements, silencing victims.
Carlock died by suicide several years later in 2019.
“I call it a death (of) despair because he had lost hope that he could heal,” Phillips said.
According to a website named in Carlock’s honor, before taking his life, he told a therapist, “They will always control me, and I’ll never be free.”
Carlock’s family then vowed no other person would suffer the same way.
“For far too long, powerful people and institutions have owned the narrative in these abuse stories,” Phillips said.
Over the Texas Legislative session, a group of bipartisan lawmakers finally heard their cries.
“No state has gone as far or passed a bill as strong as the one we’re about to pass,” said state Rep. Jeff Leach.
After testimonies from survivors, the bill passed unanimously.
Beginning Sept. 1, 2025, the non-disclosure agreements of any sexual assault survivor, no matter how old, will be null and void.
“It feels like such a victory after five years of grief,” Phillips said. “I feel some relief that this pain has had purpose.”
She said the bill eliminates the shame that survivors said they have reported feeling.
“This bill gives victims their voices back so that the blame goes back where it belongs, on the bad actors who committed these atrocities,” Phillips said.
“I love texting victims that I know are under NDAs in Texas, saying, ‘You’re free. You have the freedom of speech back to tell your story.”
Phillips and her team are now working on a campaign to spread the word across Texas.
Statutes of limitations
Phillips is also gearing up for the next legislative session in Missouri, where Carlock’s abuse took place.
“My brother was forced to file his civil litigation against Kanakuk by the age of 23. That is due to the statute of limitations in Texas,” Phillips said. “The trauma on my brother was compounded by not just the abuse that occurred, but then being forced into civil litigation by the age of 23 when he was just trying to heal and finish college.”
For criminal cases in Texas, the statute of limitations for rape and other sexual assault offenses that involve adult victims is 10 years after the day the offense took place.
For civil litigation, the statute of limitations for sex crimes against adults is just five years after the date the offense occurred.
“What research tells us about delayed disclosure is that victims usually don’t tell for at least an average of 20 years. A lot of them don’t until their 50s and 60s,” Phillips said. “And so, we need our policy to match the data and the research known to date and stop putting victims on a clock.”
They are also working to educate families worldwide about child grooming.
“I wish that our culture could rattle off the five stages of grooming like we can say, ‘Stop, drop, and roll,’” Phillips said.
The five stages of grooming
Stage 1: Selecting the victim
Predators identify a vulnerable child based on:
- physical appearance, such as small size or young age
- emotional or psychological characteristics, such as having low on self-esteem, neglected, or trusting
- family’s situation: parental discord or lack of parental supervision
Stage 2: Gaining access and isolation
- access: youth-service organizations; going to public places where there are children and manipulating the family
- isolation: creating situations in which they are alone with victims, with no other adults present. This includes activities like overnight sleepovers, babysitting or giving the child a ride home
Stage 3: The development of trust
- offenders often gain the trust of the child and family by being charming and achieving “insider status” and a positive reputation
- makes the child feel loved, uses bribes, exploits vulnerabilities and engages in youth-oriented activities
- the use of drugs and alcohol is more common in older children
Stage 4: Desensitizing the child to sexual content and physical contact
- offenders introduce sexual conversation and touch
- discuss sexual topics, such as telling inappropriate jokes, providing sexual education or having sexual conversations
- invasions of privacy, such as spying or “accidental” touching; physical contact may begin with hugging and tickling, which then shift to wrestling or massages
Stage 5: Post-abuse maintenance
- once the abuse happens, the offender continues “maintenance behaviors” to keep the secret
- persuading the child that the abuse is normal, making the child feel responsible, telling the child they love them; offering bribes, rewards or imposing punishment
Ways to teach kids
Phillips said there are many ways to teach children age-appropriate lessons about these subjects and create a safe space or identify safe adults to whom the child can open up if something happens.
ChildSafe in San Antonio cares for child victims of abuse and has an entire catalog of training and prevention information for families.
Summer camp regulations
The last thing Phillips is working on is educating families about the fact that some summer camps lack regulations, and how parents can ask questions and conduct research before sending their children.
Phillips suggests the website Before You Go To Camp, which helps families vet a youth organization.
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