A Hamilton County judge halved the bond Tuesday for the former church deacon accused of nine charges of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor.
Christopher Thomas Collins, 42, appeared in court before Hamilton County General Sessions Judge Larry Ables. The judge reduced the amount of money Collins needs to bail out of jail from $450,000 to $225,000. Even with the reduction, Ables said, the bond still amounts to a significant sum.
During the hearing, state prosecutor Lee Sparks alleged that Collins secretly hid cameras in his bathroom that videotaped a nude minor who was babysitting for Collins. The state opposed the bond reduction, Sparks said, and he added the investigation is ongoing, so more charges could come.
Regardless of the bond hearing’s outcome, Sparks said, the state wanted no-contact conditions with the case’s victims and witnesses.
In asking for the lower bond, public defender Scott Davis said his client was a longtime resident of Chattanooga. The purpose of bond is to ensure court appearances and protect the community, not to punish, he said.