Wife suspects her church deacon husband of cheating — then she uncovers secret bathroom videos that trigger police search
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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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