A deacon in suburban Chattanooga, Tennessee, was arrested after he asked his wife to hold his smartphone while he underwent a dental procedure - only for her to find nudes of their 15-year-old babysitter recorded on a hidden camera, according to police.
Christopher Thomas Collins, a 42-year-old deacon at Abba's House was arrested Wednesday and charged with nine counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
Police detained Collins after his wife discovered the videos inside a hidden folder on his phone. The wife allegedly suspected he had been cheating on her and when he asked her to hold his phone while he underwent the dental surgery, she searched his phone during, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.
When Confronted Collins Told His Wife the Cameras were to Capture Rat Infestation
As reported by the Chattanooga Times Free Press, the wife knew the girl as a family acquaintance who recently stayed overnight at the couple's house. Collins' wife told police her husband installed cameras inside the downstairs bathroom that filmed the minor while she used the shower and toilet, according to the arrest report.
Around 30 minutes after finding the files, Collins' wife confronted him inside the couple's vehicle. He ignored her at first, the arrest report said, and then claimed the cameras were to capture rats in the ceiling. "She further reported that her husband stated he had forgotten the cameras were recording and claimed he hid the files from her to avoid jealousy," the arrest report said.
Shaken by the discovery, She went to their church seeking some guidance. A counselor there encouraged her to call the police, according to news reports. Staff put her up in a hotel with her children for safety. Police arrested Collins during a traffic stop.
Police Found Nine Explicit Videos of the Minor on His Phone
Police seized Collins' phone and searched his home, reportedly with his consent. They also obtained two SD cards from small cameras and an older cell phone. Collins "admitted knowing about the cameras in the bathroom and using a mobile app to view images from the camera on his phone," the ABC affiliate News9 reported.
Police found nine video files timestamped 2025 in total from hidden bathroom cameras that show a girl entering and exiting the shower, using the toilet, and changing clothes, investigators said.
Church Stripped Collins of His Title
After his arrest, the church stripped him of his deacon title. "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," Abba's House said of the wife's allegations in a statement.
"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."
