Christopher Thomas Collins, a Tennessee man and former church deacon, was arrested on Jan. 14 and charged with nine counts of sexual exploitation of a minor after his wife says she discovered hidden recordings of a teenage babysitter on his phone. The wife reportedly deleted the files, then captured screenshots from the phone’s 'recently deleted' folder and handed SD cards from home cameras to police. Authorities say investigators later recovered nine videos from cameras in the home. Collins has been removed from his deacon role and is due back in court on Jan. 20.
Tennessee Deacon Arrested After Wife Says She Found Hidden Videos of Teen Babysitter
Hamilton County JailChristopher Thomas Collins
A Tennessee man who served as a deacon has been criminally charged after his wife told police she discovered hidden recordings of a teenage babysitter on his phone while holding it during a medical procedure, authorities say.
What Happened
According to Hamilton County court records and local reporting, Christopher Thomas Collins was arrested on Wednesday, Jan. 14. He faces nine counts of sexual exploitation of a minor after investigators say they recovered video recordings made inside the family bathroom.
Local outlets, including WTVC, WDEF, Local 3 News and WSET, report that Collins' wife became suspicious that he was cheating and checked his phone while he was undergoing a medical procedure. She allegedly found recordings stored in a hidden folder and later sought guidance from the church where Collins served as a deacon.
The woman told investigators she initially deleted the files but then opened the phone's 'recently deleted' folder and took screenshots to preserve the evidence. She also turned over SD cards removed from cameras in the home; police say those cards and a subsequent search produced nine videos of the teenager.
Authorities allege that Collins had installed hidden cameras in the family bathroom and used them to record the babysitter while she was naked. The suspect reportedly told his wife the cameras were for detecting rats, according to local reporting.
Church Response
Abba's House said in a statement that Collins' wife revealed she had found videos of a minor on her husband's phone during a marriage counseling session. The church said it immediately reported the allegation to police, is caring for the family, and that Collins has been removed from his role as a deacon.
It was not immediately clear whether Collins had entered a plea or retained an attorney. Court records show he is scheduled to return to court on Tuesday, Jan. 20. Reporting on the case cited local outlets WTVC, WDEF, Local 3 News and WSET, and the original story appeared in People.
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