Category: Tennessee
Wife suspects her church deacon husband of cheating — then she uncovers secret bathroom videos that trigger police search
A Tennessee husband and now-former church deacon has been criminally charged after his wife, who was holding his phone during a medical procedure, allegedly discovered videos of an underage babysitter in their bathroom, police said.
Christopher Thomas Collins, 42, was arrested Jan. 14 after police reportedly found explicit content on his cell phone. Collins is being detained on a $50,000 bond, according to Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office records.
‘Through the course of a marriage counseling session, Chris Collins’ wife revealed that she had found videos on her husband’s phone of a minor.’
Citing the police affidavit, WTVC-TV reported that Collins handed his phone over to his wife while he was undergoing a medical procedure.
Collins’ wife suspected her husband of cheating, so she searched his phone for evidence of infidelity, according to the affidavit.
But the wife found explicit videos and a photo of the couple’s former babysitter inside a hidden folder in the photo gallery, the affidavit said.
The wife informed investigators that the videos appeared to be recorded from small cameras placed inside a downstairs bathroom at Collins’ home in Hixson, which is about an hour and a half southeast of Nashville. Investigators found the secret cameras, and they seemed to be positioned toward the shower and toilet, court documents said.
The wife told deputies that Collins told her he installed the cameras to spot rats, according to court docs.
The police affidavit said the wife told investigators she deleted the files but then took screenshots from the “recently deleted” folder.
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Photo by wbritten via iStock / Getty Images Plus
The wife sought guidance from Abba’s House church, where her husband had been a deacon.
The affidavit revealed that staff members of the church encouraged the wife to contact police. Shortly afterward, officers arrived to interview Collins’ wife, court docs said.
Police were concerned that Collins would delete the evidence, so officers were dispatched to confront him, according to the affidavit.
Officers conducted a traffic stop to detain Collins, where they obtained his cell phone, and he gave police authorization to conduct a search of his home in Hixson, according to court documents.
Officers seized two SD cards from small cameras and an older cell phone, police said.
According to the affidavit, a camera was positioned near a water heater in the bathroom and aimed toward the shower and toilet.
Court documents stated Collins admitted to investigators that he knew about the cameras in the bathroom and confessed to using a mobile application to view images on his cell phone.
Collins admitted to police that he saw a naked image a camera captured and kept it for a while before deleting it, according to the affidavit.
A forensic examination of Collins’ cell phone revealed nine video files from the bathroom cameras, time-stamped in 2025, according to the court documents.
The court documents stated investigators said the videos show a girl changing clothes, using the toilet, and entering and exiting the shower.
Police determined that recordings were made without the girl’s knowledge or consent and in a place where she had a reasonable expectation of privacy, according to the affidavit.
Authorities determined the files were child sexual abuse material, court documents state.
Collins was arrested and charged with nine counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor for each file found on the phone.
The offense of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor in Tennessee makes it unlawful for a “person to knowingly promote, employ, use, assist, transport, or permit a minor to participate in the performance of, or in the production of, acts or material that includes the minor engaging in sexual activity; or simulated sexual activity that is patently offensive.”
On Thursday, a spokesman for Abba’s House said Collins was stripped of his church deacon title upon his arrest.
The church issued the following statement to WDEF-TV:
Through the course of a marriage counseling session, Chris Collins’ wife revealed that she had found videos on her husband’s phone of a minor. We immediately reported it to the police, and they are handling the situation. We are caring for his wife and kids during this tragic time. Chris Collins had been a member of the church for four years and served as a deacon. He has been removed from that role.
Collins is no longer listed on the church’s website.
Abba’s House pastor Ronnie Phillips Jr. told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that the church paid for a hotel for Collins’ wife and will pay for counseling and cover her bills until she can get back on her feet.
Collins appeared in court on Tuesday morning, according to WCTV.
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Blaze News‘ request for comment.
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‘What a clown’: Amid claims that state trooper hit anti-ICE protester with cruiser in middle of road, cops bring the receipts
The Tennessee Highway Patrol said Tuesday that social media posts have alleged that one of its troopers hit an individual on a Memphis street with a cruiser. But the THP said the claims are “false.”
“Have a look for yourself,” the agency said amid its release of a dashcam video of the incident.
‘My God, this just keeps getting even more ridiculous.’
The clip — time-stamped Sunday just after 5 p.m. — shows a male dressed in an orange vest and carrying what appears to be a walkie-talkie exiting an SUV parked sideways on a street and approaching the oncoming state trooper’s vehicle as anti-ICE protesters mingle in the background.
The male raises his arms and blocks the trooper from advancing on the road — as if he were permitted to do so.
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Image source: Tennessee Highway Patrol video screenshot, redacted
What’s more, he wags his finger “no” as if he’s giving the trooper an order — all while the trooper’s cruiser appears to be flashing its lights.
The trooper, as you would expect, is livid and hollers at the male from inside the cruiser: “Move! Get outta my way! Get outta my way! Move! Move! Move! Move! Move! Move! Get out! Come here!”
But the male not only fails to obey the trooper’s commands, he actually holds on to the front of the cruiser and drops the rest of his body down.
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Image source: Tennessee Highway Patrol video screenshot
Then he pops back up, wags his finger again, and walks back to the SUV.
Image source: Tennessee Highway Patrol video screenshot
Check out the dashcam video below.
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The THP in response wrote, “We respect and protect the right of people to protest peacefully. That right, however, does not include entering active roadways or placing themselves in danger.”
The agency added, “In this case, video clearly shows the individual holding onto the front of the trooper’s vehicle, lying down, then standing right back up afterward and leaving the scene under his own power. At no point does the video show the individual being run over or injured, despite the narratives circulating on social media.”
The incident occurred during an “ICE Out for Good” protest by Indivisible Memphis, WSMV-TV reported, following the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis last week.
Blaze News reached out to the THP and inquired if the male who blocked the road has been identified. The license plate on the SUV appears to be from Tennessee, and the plate number is clearly visible in the video. However, the THP on Tuesday didn’t immediately respond to Blaze News’ inquiry.
But commenters under the THP’s Facebook post have been letting their views be known loud and clear; as of Tuesday afternoon, about 1,300 — and counting — comments have rolled in. The following are a few of them.
- “Why is beetle juice in the middle of the road?” one commenter asked. “What a clown!”
- “Imagine thinking you have the authority to tell a cop to stop driving,” another user noted.
- “Make batons great again,” another commenter quipped.
- “Why wasn’t he arrested?” another user inquired. “Nobody should have the right to try and get in front of a police officer to cause disruption or stop their vehicle or put their hands on their car. The more these fools find out [there] are real consequences, they may slow down the instigating and getting in officer[s’] faces. That’s not peaceful protest at that point.”
- “Protest all you want, but once you start blocking traffic, that’s when the problem starts with the police,” another commenter said, adding that “some are looking for their 10 minutes of fame … is it worth it???”
- “My God, this just keeps getting even more ridiculous,” another user observed. “Get out of the road; you can still protest, [but] stop getting in the way of traffic! There could be a medical emergency that somebody is trying to tend to, and you are delaying care which could cost somebody’s life! Stop acting like children! STAY ON THE SIDEWALK!!!”
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Jelly Roll receives second chance, thanks to Tennessee governor’s Christmas season tradition
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) maintains an annual Christmas season tradition of granting clemency to select individuals, highlighting stories of redemption and second chances.
This year, Lee extended pardons to 33 individuals. The most notable beneficiary was country music star Jelly Roll, who was previously convicted of robbery and drug felonies.
‘His story is remarkable, and it’s a redemptive, powerful story, which is what you look for and what you hope for.’
“I am genuinely inspired by the broadness of the folks that are getting pardons today,” Lee said, the Tennessean reported.
The governor called his pardon power “a very serious responsibility.”
While federal pardons allow convicted individuals to avoid prison time, Tennessee pardons serve as a statement of forgiveness after time has been served. The AP reported that they offer a path to restoring certain civil rights, including voting rights. The governor may specify the terms of the pardon.
Jelly Roll, whose given name is Jason DeFord, stated during a January 2024 congressional hearing that his right to vote had been restricted due to his criminal past.
Jelly Roll. Photo by Georgiana Dallas/WWE via Getty Images
As part of the clemency process, applications undergo a months-long review, the Associated Press reported. The state parole board reportedly issued a unanimous, non-binding recommendation for Jelly Roll in April.
The music artist visited the governor’s mansion on Thursday to receive the news.
“His story is remarkable, and it’s a redemptive, powerful story, which is what you look for and what you hope for,” Lee stated.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Jelly Roll stated that the clemency would make it easier for him to travel internationally for his concert tours and Christian missionary work.
Earlier this month, while appearing on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Jelly Roll received word that he had been invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
“I didn’t even dream of it,” Jelly Roll told Rogan. “God will make things bigger than your dreams. Somebody out there right now is dreaming of something, and it’s too small. Dream bigger, baby.”
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Democratic Strategist Makes Admission About Aftyn Behn One Day After Election
‘maybe take a run at the seat’
MAGA Republican defeats Nashville-hating Democrat in special election
The Republican candidate has prevailed in the special election for the 7th Congressional District of Tennessee.
With 81% of the vote in, Matt Van Epps, a Trump-endorsed Republican, holds a lead of more than 11,000 votes over radical Democrat state Rep. Aftyn Behn. CNN and NBC News among other outlets have called the race for Van Epps.
‘I hate all of the things that make Nashville.’
Though as of this writing he hasn’t yet claimed victory on social media, Van Epps did tweet, “THANK YOU, TENNESSEE,” shortly after media began calling the race.
Behn has not commented on social media.
However, she has lately had to answer for some previous comments and behaviors that indicate an erratic temperament and a deep-seated animus for Nashville, the city she was running to represent in Congress.
“I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville, apparently, an ‘it’ city to the rest of the country,” she said.
In 2019, Behn also stormed into the office of Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, and security had to come in and forcibly remove her, video revealed. She then began kicking, screaming, and sobbing on the floor.
By contrast, President Trump described Van Epps as a “phenomenal Candidate” and a “MAGA Warrior” in a Truth Social post on Tuesday morning.
Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images
The special election was held on Tuesday to replace former Republican Rep. Mark Green, who abruptly retired in June after helping pass Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Green said he planned to pursue a private-sector opportunity that was “too exciting to pass up.”
By holding the seat, Republicans will keep a 220-213 majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, though Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) has already announced that she plans to resign in January. Democrat Rep. Mikie Sherrill also stepped down from her seat after winning the New Jersey gubernatorial election last month.
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Republicans Hold On To House Seat In Tennessee
race was triggered after former Republican Tennessee Rep. Mark Green resigned
It gets worse for Nashville Democrat who ‘hates’ her own city: ‘Burning down a police station is justified’
Democratic congressional candidate Aftyn Behn’s political past has once again come back to haunt her.
Behn, who currently serves in the Tennessee state legislature, has failed to navigate her on-the-record remarks ahead of the December 2 special election to replace former Republican Rep. Mark Green. Despite running to represent Tennessee’s 7th congressional district, Behn has expressed disdain for the district and critical resources that assist constituents.
‘I don’t remember these tweets.’
Behn was confronted on MS NOW about a series of now-deleted tweets where she apparently advocated to dissolve the police department in 2020, the same summer as the George Floyd riots.
One of these tweets read, “Good morning, especially to the 54% of Americans that believe burning down a police station is justified.”
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Photo by SAMUEL CORUM/AFP via Getty Images
“Yeah, I’m not going to engage in cable news talking points,” Behn said. “But what I will say is that, you know, our communities need solutions. We need local people deciding … solving local problems with local solutions … and that’s not the overreach of a federal government or a state government of which we are dealing with in Nashville and our cities across the state.”
The MS NOW anchor pressed Behn to clarify her comments repeatedly, but she failed to do so.
“Once again, I don’t remember these tweets,” Behn said.
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This is not the first time Behn’s past remarks have landed the Democrat in an uncomfortable situation. She previously expressed severe disdain for Nashville, the very city she is running to represent.
“I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville, apparently,” Behn said.
“I hate it.”
In a video posted to X on Thursday, Behn seemed to deny that she hates Nashville, admitting that she takes issue with “the bachelorettes” and “pedal taverns” but ultimately blames Republicans for her comments.
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Activist Democrat judge sabotages National Guard surge in Memphis after 100 children rescued
Officials, including activist judges, refuse to let Republican efforts to fight crime go unpunished, with the most recent challenge coming from Tennessee.
On Monday, a Tennessee judge blocked the deployment of the National Guard to clean up the city of Memphis.
‘I’m grateful for the President’s commitment to keeping Memphians safe by ensuring we have every federal resource at our disposal.’
According to the AP, Davidson County Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal, a Democrat, decided that Republican Governor Bill Lee does not have the power to deploy the Tennessee National Guard in the absence of rebellion or invasion.
The judge found that the deployment of the National Guard likely violates the state’s military code and that state officials “are suffering or will suffer irreparable harm” if the injunction isn’t granted, according to NBC News.
Photo by AUSTIN JOHNSON/AFP via Getty Images
Moskal paused the order for at least five days to give the government time to file an “immediate application for permission to appeal.”
Democrat Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, a plaintiff in the case, said he was “pleased” with the decision.
“This is a positive step toward ensuring the rule of law applies to everyone, including everyday Tennesseans and even the Governor,” Harris said on X.
The National Guard arrived in Memphis, Tennessee, on October 10 as part of the so-called Memphis Safe Task Force.
Upon the task force’s establishment in the middle of September, Governor Lee posted on X, “I’m grateful for the President’s commitment to keeping Memphians safe by ensuring we have every federal resource at our disposal.”
Democrat Memphis Mayor Paul Young, who is not party to the lawsuit, said that he wanted the task force to target violent offenders, a major problem in the city.
The Memphis Safe Task Force has been highly successful by many metrics, including recovering over 100 children from human trafficking networks by November.
Newsmax host Todd Starnes said in response to the judge’s ruling, “Will the Democrats also demand that the missing children recovered by the task force be returned to the human traffickers?”
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Judicial Watch: Hearing Set for Thursday in Lawsuit for Release of ‘Manifesto’ in Nashville School Shooting
(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that oral argument is set for Thursday, October 30, 2025, 1 p.m. CT, 2 p.m. ET, before a three-judge panel in the Tennessee Court of Appeals in the public records lawsuit against the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County for records related to the March 2023 shooting […]
The post Judicial Watch: Hearing Set for Thursday in Lawsuit for Release of ‘Manifesto’ in Nashville School Shooting appeared first on Judicial Watch.
