‘He picked the wrong group of women’: Recorded without consent during sex, reported victims vow to change law

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Emily Benavides is going public with her pain.

On Oct. 27, she logged onto her Instagram account, and began a post that reads, “PSA: Ongoing criminal investigation.”

Benavides went on to state that if anyone reading her post had been romantically involved with Matthew Vollmer, to please contact her.

“He victimized me and multiple other women by placing a hidden camera in his bedroom and filming without our consent,” Benavides wrote. “We need help identifying some of them and word of mouth is the only way we know how.”

Benavides is the latest woman to come forward to WSMV4 Investigates to say she was a victim of Vollmer, who was arrested last week and faces eight charges of unlawful photography, accused of using a hidden camera in his alarm clock to record having sex with women without their knowledge.

One woman is suing Vollmer for $1.8 million in a civil lawsuit for recording her without her permission. Benavides made the Instagram post after reading another social media post about Vollmer and his alleged crimes.

“Devastation. It was really difficult to see that. This man has hurt me in the past, and I thought that would stay in the past,” Benavides said.

Several of the reported victims tell WSMV4 Investigates that Vollmer gave one woman access to his desktop computer while she was housesitting for him.

That woman, according to the reported victims, found twelve digital folders on his computer, each marked with a different woman’s name. Inside the folders were graphic videos of the women from his bedroom.

The reported victims tell WSMV4 Investigates there are thousands of videos. Through her Instagram post, Benavides made contact with Erika Thomas, another reported victim of Vollmer.

Thomas said she only dated Vollmer for two weeks.

“The realization of what had happened was absolutely crushing,” Thomas said.

Thomas said she then confirmed with the Metro Nashville Police Department that Vollmer had recorded her without her knowledge.

“I think it was a further humiliation because I had to sit and watch the footage with two other male detectives in the room,” Thomas said.

Benavides and Thomas intended to press charges but learned because they dated Vollmer more than a year ago, the statute of limitations had passed.

“Meaning I couldn’t press any criminal charges. And I believe that will haunt me forever,” Benavides said.

In certain sex crimes cases, such as unlawful photography, the statute of limitations to press charges is a year after the crime is committed.

Thomas said she now wants to lobby lawmakers to change the law, making the statute of limitations be a year after the crime is discovered.

WSMV4 Investigates texted and called Vollmer for two days and went by his last known address, but has since not been able to reach him for comment.

“What is it you want him to know?” asked WSMV4 Investigates.

“There are repercussions for victimizing women. And he picked the wrong group of women to do this to,” Thomas said.

If there is something you want WSMV4 Investigates to know for this story, please email Jeremy.Finley@wsmv.com.

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