Gavin Peterson's uncle speaks publicly as senator moves to revive child safety bill

SALT LAKE CITY — For more than two years, Scott Peterson has largely remained silent as his family grappled with the abuse and death of his nephew, 12-year-old Gavin Peterson.

Now, Peterson is speaking publicly for the first time, hoping his family's tragedy can help prevent similar incidents from happening to other children.

"I can still try and help prevent anybody else from having to go through this," Peterson said.

His comments come as state Senator Luz Escamilla, (D) Salt Lake City, announced plans to reintroduce what has become known as the "Gavin Peterson Bill" during Utah's 2027 legislative session.

The proposal, formally known as SB 124, passed the Senate during the 2026 session but died in the House.

Escamilla said the bill would create a new legal tool that would allow juvenile court judges to issue child safety warrants, enabling child welfare workers and peace officers to physically check on a child when credible abuse concerns exist.

"We want to have an intervention between a caseworker from DCFS knocking on the door and someone saying, 'I don't have to open the door for you,'" Escamilla said. "If there are enough threats, red flags and signs, with the help of a judge-issued warrant, they can come in, see the child and make sure the child is safe."

Remembering Gavin

When asked about his nephew, Peterson struggled to hold back emotion.

"After two years, you'd think this would be a little bit easier to talk about," he said.

He described Gavin as a happy and energetic child who loved Pokémon and playing.

"Just all-around a great kid," Peterson said.

The grief, he said, is worsened by knowing the abuse came from within his own family. Scott is 48-year-old Shane Peterson's older brother. In May 2025, Shane pleaded guilty to child abuse homicide in his son, Gavin's death. Two more relatives, Nichole Lea Scott and Tyler Peterson, have also pleaded guilty in the case.

"Losing a child to child abuse, or a relative to child abuse, is difficult no matter how you slice it," Peterson said. "But it gets even worse when you know that someone you share blood with is the reason he is dead."

Scott Peterson said family members initially struggled to accept what investigators alleged.

"We thought police had made a mistake at first," he said. "We just didn't see any way possible they could be doing this and keeping it hidden from the rest of the family."

Peterson said he became estranged from his younger brother about ten years ago and had limited contact with the boy's family afterward.

"The last time I actually saw him (Gavin) alive was at my grandfather's funeral," he said, estimating it was around 2016-17.

A bill inspired by gaps in the system

Supporters of the legislation said it addresses a weakness in Utah's child welfare system.

According to Escamilla, under current law, child welfare workers with the Utah Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) can open an investigation but may be unable to physically see a child if access is denied and there is not enough evidence to justify removing that child from a home.

Escamilla, who sits on the Child Welfare Legislative Oversight Panel, which reviews child welfare cases and identifies patterns and gaps in Utah's child protection system, said the bill creates a middle step.

"This gives us another tool in the toolbox," Escamilla said.

Under the proposal, investigators would need to convince a juvenile court judge that credible safety concerns exist. If approved, the warrant would allow workers and law enforcement to check on the child and evaluate the child's living conditions.

Any removal would require a separate court order.

"There is no removal," Escamilla said. "That's a separate process already in place."

She believes the measure balances child protection with parental rights because judicial approval would still be required before any action is taken.

"For people who worry that maybe the government or DCFS has too much power, this is actually in between an intervention," she said. "Can we just see the child to make sure the child is safe?"

Why Gavin's family got involved

Scott Peterson said his family had been looking for ways to honor Gavin and decided to contact Senator Escamilla's office.

He recently launched a "Justice for Gavin" social media page and is reaching out to lawmakers and child advocates ahead of the next legislative session.

"We want to get as many people as we can on board with getting this bill passed," Peterson said.

Escamilla said the involvement of Gavin's relatives has been especially meaningful, given the painful circumstances surrounding the case.

"It makes a difference when you hear from someone who lived that firsthand and that they lost their loved one," Escamilla said.

Could the bill have made a difference?

Scott Peterson believes the legislation may have given child welfare workers another opportunity to intervene in Gavin's case.

Multiple concerns about Gavin's well-being had been reported before his death by staff at his elementary school. However, relatives and prosecutors have said they were unable to verify those reports because they could not access the child.

"Unfortunately, they couldn't investigate because they couldn't get access to the child," Scott Peterson said. "So it basically killed the investigation."

While he cannot say for certain that the bill would have prevented Gavin's death, he believes it could have been a resource for social workers.

"At least this way they could verify claims being made by other people about the condition of the child's life," he said.

Looking ahead

Escamilla said the bill has received support from multiple child advocacy groups including Prevent Child Abuse Utah, Utah PTA, the Utah Victims Services Commission, the National Association of Social Workers Utah Chapter, Voices for Utah Children, and the Utah Office for Families.

The proposal will mark the third consecutive year lawmakers have considered legislation aimed at strengthening child safety investigations.

Escamilla said previous versions of the bill faced resistance over concerns about parental rights, but she believes lawmakers now have a clearer understanding of the proposal.

She also noted that some lawmakers who previously voted against the measure have since expressed interest in revisiting it.

"I feel confident," Escamilla said. "They are looking forward to another opportunity to actually vote in favor of this bill after they spend more time understanding what we're trying to do and they've also heard from their constituents."

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