Colorado Will Not Pursue Charges Against Pete Newman:

Peter "Pete" Daniel Newman (prison mug shot)

Authorities in Colorado have decided NOT to pursue sexual misconduct charges against former Kanakuk Kamp director Peter "Pete" Newman.
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The warrant for Newman's arrest in La Plata County Colorado was quashed, and pending charges against him were dismissed without prejudice after he received multiple life sentences in Missouri for sex crimes involving young boys who were campers at the Branson based Christian youth camp.

In January, Newman was arrested inside a Taney County courtroom on the Colorado arrest warrant, which was sealed.  In Colorado a defendant is not officially charged with a crime until he or she appears in front of a judge.

In February, Newman pleaded guilty, without a plea agreement, to two counts of first-degree statutory sodomy, three counts of second-degree statutory sodomy and three counts of enticement of a child in Taney County.

One part of the probable cause statement filed with the charges gives an insight into how Newman enticed kids at the Christian camp to play naked basketball and take part in nude bible study in a hot tub.

If they masturbated with him, or performed sex acts on him, it wouldn't be a sin:

"Between 2005 and 2008, Pete Newman became a close friend of  by attending family dinners, sleepovers, bible studies, taking vacations together and writing letters. Pete would hold one-on-one sessions with (the boy) in Pete's hot tub (at Pete's residence) and would request they be naked. Pete would discuss life's struggles with (him) and talk about masturbation. Pete would explain that if (the boy) would masturbate with him in his hot tub then there would be no lust and therefore (the boy) would not be sinning."

Taney County Prosecutor Jeff Merrell dropped some charges against Newman in exchange for his guilty plea and his right to appeal any sentence.

Taney County Prosecutor Jeff Merrell

At the time the arrest warrant was issued in Colorado, Sam Eggleston, an investigator for the La Plata County Sheriff's office, said allegations against Newman involved the sexual assault of an underage boy who was a camper at Kanakuk's K-Colorado facility in September of 2008.  

That camp, which is located near Vallectito, has since been sold to the daughter and son-in-law of Joe White (who owns Kanakuk) and renamed Kivu.

When reached by phone this week, Eggleston said, "Prosecutors here were pleased with the sentences that Newman received in Missouri and don't think pursuing charges against him here would add anything to the sentences he is already serving there."

Because the charges in Colorado were dismissed without prejudice, prosecutors there can refile them at any time.  "Colorado does not a have a statutory time limit for charging someone with any offense involving a sexual assault on a child," said Eggleston.

Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama and other states had expressed interest in pursuing similar charges against Newman.  It is unclear if those states will follow Colorado's lead.
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Newman is now housed at Jefferson City Correctional Facility after he was transferred from Southeast Correctional Center in Charleston, Missouri.  He began serving his sentence at Fulton Reception and Diagnostic Center.
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At Newman's sentencing in June, Kevin Fielding, a spokesman for Kanakuk Kamps, says he was not aware of any pending civil litigation against the Branson based youth camp where Newman prayed with and preyed on young boys during the ten years he was employed there.