The man accused of secretly recording numerous sexual encounters with women in Nashville, prompting victims to push for a change in Tennessee law, has pleaded guilty to four counts of unlawful photography.
Matthew Vollmer, 33, will serve a one-year sentence of probation, according to a spokesperson for the Davidson County district attorney's office.
The case is not over yet. Vollmer's sentence may be diverted, meaning his record could be expunged if he successfully completes his probation. Outgoing Judge Jim Todd, who has overseen Vollmer's case, will determine that at a later hearing. Todd said he will come back to the bench to decide whether to grant Vollmer diversion.
That is when the women Vollmer is accused of secretly recording will get to speak in court, said Brook Farrell. Police verified that Farrell was in some of the sexual recordings found on Vollmer's computer.
The group of women who were unwittingly recorded by Vollmer don't want his record cleared, Farrell said.
Vollmer's one-year sentence is disappointing but what they expected given the weakness in Tennessee's law at the time Vollmer was charged, Farrell said.
"We changed the laws because it was not very strong, but we knew that as far as he's concerned he's getting a slap on the wrist and nothing more," Farrell said.
Vollmer's attorney Joseph Fuson did not return a request for comment.
Nashville police said Vollmer filmed women through a camera he disguised as an alarm clock.
He faced eight charges related to filming four women, some on multiple occasions. Several others, including Farrell, were not able to press charges due to the statute of limitations. Farrell said those women will still be allowed to speak or give a written statement at the diversion hearing.
A group of the women banded together and crafted a bill with state lawmakers that would allow others in identical scenarios to press charges. The Voyeurism Victims Act, signed into law in 2025, changes the statute of limitations to begin at one year from when the crime is discovered, not from when the crime is committed. The bill also allows victims of unlawful photography to petition for an order of protection.
Have questions about the justice system? Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him with questions, tips or story ideas at emealins@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Man pleads guilty in secret sex recording case that led to law change
