Ex-staff Member at Kanakuk Kamps Is Accused of Abusing 3 Campers, Ages 9, 10, 12

By Jay Scherder
KY3 News
April 2, 2012

http://www.ky3.com/news/ky3-exstaff-member-at-kanakuk-kamps-is-charged-with-abusing-3-campers-20120402,0,3530171.story

Kanakuk Kamps is dealing with its second sex abuse case within three years. Lee Bradberry, 22, of Auburn, Ala., is charged in Taney County with sexual crimes involving three campers at its Christian-themed sports camps. The three boys were ages 9, 10, and either 11 or 12.

Probable cause statements say the abuse happened in July. Kanakuk says it fired Bradberry last July and alerted law enforcement agencies after receiving reports of inappropriate behavior by Bradberry.

"I think that more often you are going to find that people who may be looking for kids to have as victims, they are going to go where the kids are. They are not going to be big, scary people. They are going to be friendly with the kids,” said Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey Merrell.

A probable cause statement used as the basis of the charges shows the younger boys told trained interviewers last July that Bradberry fondled and groped them through their clothes in a game he called "baseball." They also said Bradberry had them sit on his lap at camp concerts and other activities, and then fondled them through their pants.

The older boy, according to the probable cause statement in his case, shows the Taney County Sheriff's Department started investigating that case in early March, although the boy said the abuse happened last July when he was at Kanakuk Kamps. That boy said his abuse by Bradberry including fondling, masturbation and oral sex.

"They are serious offenses. Three of the charges carry a maximum of life in prison,” said Merrell.

The probable cause statements show the investigation began in July 2011 after a hotline call. That’s when investigators discovered there were two boys, ages 9 and 10, who had been abused. Further investigation by the Taney County Sheriff's Department discovered the third victim, who is now 12 years old.

"Unfortunately, if you have an organization that deals with a lot of kids, you have to expect to find people that are going to try to get involved in your organization for the wrong reasons,” said Merrell.

Two years ago, ex-camp leader Peter Newman pleaded guilty for sexually abusing several boys. He was sentenced to life in prison.

The camp implemented a Child Protection Plan in the aftermath of Newman’s arrest in 2009. The plan includes professional criminal background checks for every employee and mandatory sexual abuse prevention training for every staff member.

Merrell says, as far as he could tell, there were no red flag warnings that would lead anyone to believe Bradberry would be a danger to children.

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News release from Kanakuk Kamps on Monday morning:

At Kanakuk the safety and protection of children is our number one priority. That is why we have implemented a comprehensive Child Protection Plan that combines rigorous policies, extensive staff training, age-appropriate education for campers and encouragement of all staff and campers to report any questionable behavior. Sadly we now believe that in 2011 that Child Protection Plan was needed to play a role in helping to identify and stop another threat.

Today a Missouri prosecutor charged Lee Bradberry, a former collegiate, summer staffer, with six counts related to incidents involving three campers during July 2011. We terminated Bradberry from his position in July 2011 after campers reported one incident in which Bradberry behaved inappropriately.

As soon as this first indication of inappropriate behavior was brought to our attention, we immediately dismissed Bradberry and reported his behavior to the parents of the campers involved, law enforcement and child protection authorities. Law enforcement and child protection authorities began an investigation at that time. The ensuing investigation led to the discovery of other inappropriate behavior and ultimately to today’s charges.

We grieve with and are praying for those impacted by this situation. We applaud the courage shown by campers who reported this staffer’s behavior – potentially helping to prevent further abuse.

We will continue to build on our Child Protection Plan which includes:

- Professional criminal background checks for every employee

- Mandatory sexual abuse prevention training for every staff member

- Stringent policies and accountability designed to avoid private, one-on-one situations

- Age-appropriate information for all campers about safety and personal boundaries; campers and staff are taught to recognize, resist and report any inappropriate behavior – that is what happened to prevent further crimes in this case

- Staff education conducted by nationally recognized sexual abuse prevention experts

- Training key staff in advanced screening and detection techniques

- Educating all campers and staff on how to report inappropriate or questionable behavior

- Educating and encouraging parents to engage their kids with appropriate discussions on physical boundaries and sexual abuse issues

- Private and secure reporting locations in every camp at Kanakuk

During our 87 years of Kamp, more than 50,000 summer staffers have positively impacted over 300,000 campers. This abuse runs counter to everything we stand for at Kanakuk. And, we are more determined than ever to keep fighting with everything we have to make this the safest place possible for kids to encounter Jesus and His Gospel.

Contact: jscherder@ky3.com