A group of Nashville women is in search of justice, and their journey has taken them to the Tennessee State Capitol.
It started in June, when one of those women, Christiana Werner, logged onto her then-boyfriend Matthew Vollmer’s laptop. There she found a folder labeled with her name containing videos of her and Vollmer engaging in sexual acts — all recorded without her consent. That led to a police investigation and the discovery of thousands of other videos of at least 11 other women who had been secretly recorded with a camera hidden inside an alarm clock in Vollmer’s room.
Vollmer, 31, was charged with eight counts of unlawful photography in November. Just four of the women were able to press charges due to the state’s 12-month statute of limitations — the 12-month period begins at the time of recording, not discovery. Vollmer posted bond after being arrested and is currently free.
Legislators look at transportation and budget requests; bill advances to help victims of unlawful photography
Erika Thomas, one of the victims who cannot press charges, is a former lobbyist and has been vital in helping push legislation through the Tennessee General Assembly to help victims of unlawful photography. “I kind of just looked at the statute and saw a lot of holes in the statute as it was written,” Thomas tells the Scene. “So that just motivated me to pass a law.”
“In our case, the man who did this to us is probably not going to get jail time and is just going to get a slap on the wrist,” she says. “And that’s just not accountability in our eyes.”
Now two bills aiming to expand legal protections for victims of unlawful photography and increase penalties for perpetrators are making their way through the legislature. House Bill 602, also known as the Voyeurism Victims Act, would alter some language in the legal statute and change the statute of limitations from 12 months after an incident occurred to 12 months after the criminal activity was discovered. It would also allow a victim to pursue an order of protection. The bill brought by Rep. Bob Freeman (D-Nashville) unanimously passed the House Criminal Justice Committee on Feb. 26. The bill is sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville) and also unanimously passed the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. (Disclosure: Freeman is the owner of FW Publishing, which publishes the Nashville Scene, the Nashville Post, the Williamson Scene and Nfocus.)
Another bill — HB 99/SB 685, sponsored by Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) — would increase penalties for certain unlawful photography cases and require those convicted of the crime to be placed on the state’s sex offender registry. The bill is sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Dawn White (R-Rutherford County). (Bulso did not respond to multiple requests for comment.)
One of the victims in the Vollmer case, Emily Benavides, gave emotional testimony before the House Criminal Justice Committee last week. She described her involvement in the case and the terror she felt after learning she was one of several victims who could not press charges due to the statute of limitations.
“While the law had failed us, we turned our pain into purpose to ensure protection for future victims,” Benavides said. “I urge you to recognize the gravity of this issue. The bill is not just legal reform. It’s about restoring dignity, providing a pathway for healing for victims. … By supporting this bill, you’re closing a significant gap in our legal system, protecting families from trauma and ensuring victims receive the justice that we were denied. By voting yes, you give power back to those who were left powerless.”
Nashville women advocating on behalf of the Voyeurism Victims Act, January 2025
Benavides tells the Scene that giving her testimony before state lawmakers took an emotional toll, but she’s beginning to feel like the efforts she and the other women spearheading reform are making are being recognized.
“It feels like we’re finally getting justice,” she says. “We didn’t really have a path for that. Coming here today is very rewarding and cathartic, and I feel like we’re finally coming full circle, and it’s very surreal to even think that we could make real change in this. … It’s very rewarding, also very taxing, but hopefully it will all be worth it in the end.”
“The bravery that these women have shown, to talk about this publicly, to take action, knowing that it’s not going to change their situation, but to do all this effort for other women that may go through this, is definitely to be commended,” said Freeman during the House Criminal Justice Committee hearing. “This gives them a little bit of power back that someone attempted to take from them.”
The Voyeurism Victims Act passed in the Senate on Monday and was set to be heard by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday — after the Scene’s press time. Bulso’s bill to increase criminal penalties passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, and was referred to the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee.
Additional reporting by Hamilton Matthew Masters.
