A proposed law moving through Texas and Missouri legislative committees could dramatically shift the way child sexual abuse cases are addressed.
A proposed law moving through Texas and Missouri legislative committees could dramatically shift the way child sexual abuse cases are addressed.
Currently, anyone in Missorui must file a child sexual abuse case against a perpetrator by age 31. If they wish to hold an institution accountable, they must do so by age 26. However, it has been proven that most childhood sex crime survivors do not come forward until at least 20 years after the incident.
The proposed bill, Trey’s Law, is named after Trey Carlock, a Texas man who died by suicide in 2019.
Elizabeth Carlock Phillips, Trey’s older sister, has been preserving his memory throughout the six years following her brother’s death. In her testimony to lawmakers, she shared haunting details about her brother’s experience at a summer camp in Missouri. He endured grooming and sexual abuse starting at just 7 years old and lasting over a decade.
"I've actually learned more about the extent of my brother's abuse in his death than I knew in his life due to the NDA he was under," Carlock Phillips told lawmakers. "Trey told a therapist, 'They will always control me, and I'll never be free,' before he died by suicide in August 2019. He hesitated even to tell his story in confidential therapeutic settings."
The abuse took place at Kanakuk Kamp, and its former director is currently serving three life sentences after being convicted of sexually abusing multiple campers.
Carlock Phillips said her brother’s trauma caused him to suffer in silence: he was forced to file his case before the age of 23 due to Texas' civil statute of limitations. She recalled that he referred to his settlement as "blood money."
"It's no exaggeration for me to claim this as a matter of life and death," she said. "I think we know what child sexual abuse does to a person's life, does to a kid, and I think we also know how healing happens. It's by sharing your story in safe places, finding support and solidarity."
Trey’s Law is a bill that seeks to ban nondisclosure agreements in civil settlements related to sexual abuse and sex trafficking cases. The hope is to eradicate an avenue that has historically allowed abusers to hide behind confidentiality agreements that force survivors to stay silent when cases are settled out of court.
If the bill becomes law, survivors would be able to speak publicly about their alleged abusers.
Cindy Clemishire also testified in support of the bill. She experienced abuse beginning at the age of 12 and pursued a case against Robert Morris, a former Texas megachurch pastor. In 2007, at age 37—20 years after she first told someone—her attorney asked Morris for $50,000 to cover past and future counseling.
"Robert Morris's attorney responded with a letter accusing an innocent 12-year-old Cindy of pursuing Robert, making Robert sound like the victim," Clemishire said. "The letter also offered a $25,000 settlement as long as I would sign an NDA, which I refused. That was 18 years ago. Because I refused to sign that document, giving up the right to freely speak about events in my life."
She believes that decision played a role in Morris’ recent indictment. He resigned from Gateway Church in 2024 after the allegations became public and was indicted on multiple counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child. He turned himself in and has pleaded not guilty.
Elizabeth Carlock Phillips has been advocating for survivors since her brother’s death, but this is the first time a Senate Committee has heard testimony on Trey’s Law. The Texas House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee voted 10-0 to move the legislation to the House floor.
“The whole room was impacted by what we heard today, and I just hope that that momentum builds and we can get these laws passed,” Phillips said.
Authors: Alexis Kabat and Andy Goldwasser
