The horrific case of 31-year-old Nashville resident Matthew Vollmer grows more disturbing as the investigation into his character deepens with each passing day. The latest update reveals that he allegedly possessed thousands of explicit videos, according to one of his most vocal victims, Laura Cantwell.
Vollmer has been in the news lately after his former girlfriend, Christiana Werner, discovered a non-consensually recorded video of herself and Vollmer on his computer while he was out of town. The video was saved in a file bearing her name. This discovery prompted Werner to search not only his computer but also the apartment where Vollmer lived. She found hidden cameras inside his alarm clock and videos of other women. Werner contacted the police, who in turn notified the other victims.
Among them was third-year law student Laura Cantwell, who promptly filed a civil lawsuit seeking $1.8 million in damages. Civil suits don’t always make harmful individuals change but it does help getting victims on their healing journey. Cantwell’s suit is already underway in the courts, and Vollmer appeared to repeatedly plead the Fifth during his questioning.
At this time, Vollmer has pleaded not guilty to the charge of unlawful photography, which is the only charge currently standing against him. As of now, there is no evidence that he attempted to distribute the alleged thousands of videos on his computer. Vollmer’s lawyer claims that all the videos were made consensually. While the prosecution works to refute that claim with evidence and witnesses, Vollmer remains out on a $40,000 bond.
The exact number of his alleged victims is still unknown, but victims like Cantwell expect that number to grow given that she believes the videos to be in the thousands. According to WKRN, Cantwell’s lawsuit requests that, should the suit result in recovery, the proceeds be distributed among all Vollmer’s victims.
Technology has transformed every facet of our lives, from sex — as evidenced by the recent viral story of an OnlyFans content creator working exclusively with college-aged men— to consent, with apps now being introduced in bedrooms to document agreements before any activity begins. Yet, for some reason, the law lags behind in keeping up with this fast-paced society. Even some of Vollmer’s alleged victims, who are just now learning of his violations, cannot press charges due to Tennessee’s one-year statute of limitations. This technicality has sadly already cleared Vollmer of some criminal charges.
Vollmer’s alleged victims are not just battling a man who caused them emotional and mental harm; they are also pushing for changes in the law to ensure that such vile acts and offenders do not escape consequences simply because of legal loopholes. While the number of victims may continue to rise, we must remember that even one victim is one too many.
It’s also prudent to note that if all these videos were truly consensual, as the lawyer claims, Werner would never have gone to the police in the first place or been able to find others corroborating her experience. So to deal with such actors thoroughly, the group of women aims to change the law, advocating for the one-year statute of limitations in cases like theirs to begin not from the date the unlawful photography occurred but from the date of discovery, extending to the final day of the one-year period. Hopefully, justice will be served in this case.