Gov. Bill Lee Signs Voyeurism Victims Act

From Local 3 News: Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has signed the Voyeurism Victims Act into law, expanding protections for individuals who have been recorded without their consent. The new law extends the time victims have to press charges after discovering they were illegally recorded, addressing a gap in the state’s previous statute of limitations.

Under the previous law, victims had only one year from the time the crime occurred to report it. The amendment allows victims to take legal action within one year of discovering the crime, particularly in cases where the perpetrator concealed their actions.

State Rep. Bob Freeman (D-Nashville) sponsored the bill after being approached by a group of Nashville women who were victims of a man arrested in November on eight counts of unlawful photography.

“Due to some limitations in the law, these women came to me and asked if we filed legislation to amend various statutes that prevented many of them from getting the justice that they deserve,” Freeman said.

The legislation also clarifies the legal definition of “disseminate” in unlawful photography cases to include transferring, publishing, or making images accessible. Additionally, it allows victims of unlawful photography and observation without consent to petition courts for an order of protection.

“And it allows for victims of an unlawful photography and observation without consent offenses to petition the courts for an order of protection,” Freeman said.

The bill passed unanimously in the Tennessee House with a 93-0 vote. Seven of the victims who initially brought the issue to Freeman watched the vote from the balcony.

“They advocated tirelessly for this legislation, and we’re going to hear later, so I’d like to give a round of applause. Thank you, ladies, for your hard work,” Freeman said.

The new law comes amid an ongoing investigation in Chattanooga, where former Hamilton Place Massage Envy therapist Kevin Spears is accused of secretly recording clients without their permission. A Tennessee Department of Health disciplinary report states that Spears’ license was revoked after authorities found he used his cellphone to record female clients as they changed.

Spears has not been arrested at this time.

In a statement to Local 3 News, a Massage Envy spokesperson said:

“We are outraged and deeply saddened by the reprehensible actions of a former employee.  His actions violate our strict internal rules, clear regulations set by the State of Tennessee and the Massage Envy brand.  The safety and wellbeing of our members and employees is our absolute priority and as soon as we became aware of the inappropriate conduct, the employee was immediately terminated, the state board notified and law enforcement alerted. We remain fully engaged in supporting the ongoing investigation and have closely followed law enforcement’s direction. Our focus is on supporting those affected and rebuilding the trust of our clients and community.  We cannot emphasize how much we appreciate the continued support of our loyal clients and friends.”

The Voyeurism Victims Act will go into effect on July 1.