A bill to expand legal protections for victims of unlawful photography is set to become state law after passing unanimously in both the Senate and House.
The Voyeurism Victims Act, sponsored by Rep. Bob Freeman (D-Nashville), will change the statute of limitations to press charges against perpetrators of unlawful photography from 12 months after the incident occurred to 12 months after the criminal activity was discovered. It also allows victims to pursue an order of protection. (Disclosure: Freeman is the owner of FW Publishing, which publishes the Nashville Scene, the Nashville Post, the Williamson Scene and Nfocus.)
The legislation was pushed by a group of Nashville women who discovered they were secretly recorded while engaging in sexual acts — all by the same man, Matthew Vollmer.
Two bills aiming to expand legal protections are making their way through the legislature
Thirty-one-year-old Vollmer was charged with eight counts of unlawful photography last year, but only four of the at least 12 victims were able to press charges due to the current statute of limitations.
Erika Thomas, one of the victims who could not press charges, tells the Scene how it felt to see their months of hard work be codified in state law.
"It's just powerful to know that the lawmakers were listening to us and that they care about our story and they care about protecting future victims," Thomas says. "It's incredibly validating that we were able to see this bill pass before our offender's court date, which is a huge deal. We are super appreciative of the bipartisan support that we received. You hear a lot about contentious issues down here, but sometimes the lawmakers can come together in agreement, and this is one of those times."
In a statement (which can be read in full at the bottom of this post), Freeman points out that the bill allows for the perpetrator to be convicted of a class-E felony if they target multiple victims.
"Privacy is a fundamental right, and no one should ever have to fear being secretly recorded during intimate moments," Freeman says in his statement. "By supporting HB 602, we are standing up for those who have been harmed and ensuring that those who would commit these crimes cannot hide behind the technology they misuse."
Two other bills related to unlawful photography and the dissemination of private photographs are still making their way through the state legislature. One proposed bill by Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) would increase legal penalties by requiring a person convicted of unlawful photography to be register as a sexual offender. The bill is set to be heard by the House Judiciary Committee on March 19.
Another piece of legislation sponsored by Rep. Jesse Chism (D-Memphis) and Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) would clarify that the crime of unlawful exposure includes the distribution of a private, intimate image of another person with the intent to cause emotional distress — even if the person who distributes the image was not a part of an agreement ensuring the image would be private. The bill unanimously passed the Senate on March 10 and will be heard by the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee on March 19.
Additional reporting by Hamilton Matthew Masters.
