About this episode
Trey’s Law: Ending the Silence Around Child Sexual Abuse A Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz Podcast Special In one of the most important and emotionally powerful episodes of Verdict with Ted Cruz, Senator Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson dedicate the program to confronting what they describe as a national epidemic: child sexual abuse and the systemic silencing of its victims. The episode centers on newly introduced federal legislation—Trey’s Law—and features the courageous testimony of survivors and advocates who are fighting to ensure that children are never again forced into silence through legally binding non‑disclosure agreements (NDAs). This is not a theoretical discussion. It is a deeply personal, urgent conversation about real lives, real trauma, and a legal system that, for too long, has allowed abusers and institutions to protect themselves at the expense of children. As Senator Cruz makes clear throughout the episode, Trey’s Law is about stopping the second victimization of children who have already endured the unimaginable. The Scope of the Crisis: Child Sexual Abuse in America Early in the episode, Senator Cruz lays out sobering statistics that frame the urgency of the legislation. A child in America is sexually abused every nine minutes. One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before the age of eighteen. These are not isolated incidents—they represent a widespread and deeply entrenched crisis. Yet despite the scale of the problem, many victims never come forward. The episode repeatedly highlights the phenomenon of delayed disclosure, explaining that children often do not report abuse for years—or even decades—because of fear, shame, and manipulation by their abusers. This silence is not accidental; it is frequently enforced through legal mechanisms that benefit perpetrators and the institutions that shield them. What Is Trey’s Law? Trey’s Law is a federal bill introduced by Senator Ted Cruz with broad bipartisan support. Its purpose is straightforward but powerful: to prohibit non‑disclosure agreements that bind victims of child sexual abuse and force them into silence. NDAs were originally designed to protect intellectual property—trade secrets like formulas or proprietary business information. Over time, however, they have been misused to silence victims of abuse, including children who cannot legally consent to such agreements. Trey’s Law establishes that this practice is unacceptable as a matter of public policy. Importantly, the bill is written to protect victims—not to compel them to speak. Survivors may still choose confidentiality if th
