Families Say Baptist Deacon Was a Peeper

BENTON, La. (CN) - A Baptist Church deacon used a shoe camera to take pictures up women's dresses, and offered his house for his church's "Weekend Blast" so he could secretly film 10th-grade girls going to the bathroom, parents claim in court.

Two married couples and a single mom sued Paul Edward Holmes and his wife, Tammie Lynn Wright Holmes, on behalf of their children, in Bossier Parish Court.

The parents claim Paul Holmes joined the church to get access to children, and that his wife of 33 years must have known it.

Paul Holmes was arrested and convicted of video voyeurism, and is now a registered sex offender, according to the complaint.

It claims that Paul Holmes "was found to have placed cameras in the bathrooms of his home for the purpose of filming the minor children."

Holmes may have started his video voyeurism at a different church, according to the complaint.

It states: "Prior to the incident sued on herein and while defendant Paul Edward Holmes was a member of Eastwood Baptist Church, it is alleged on information and belief that a member of Eastwood Baptist Church discovered that a computer donated to the church by the defendant, Paul Edward Holmes, contained voluminous pornographic files and same was reported to law enforcement. It is also alleged on information and belief that since law enforcement couldn't determine who placed the pornographic materials on the computer, the computer was destroyed.

"Shortly thereafter, defendant Paul Edward Holmes withdrew as a member of Eastwood Baptist Church and joined First Baptist Church of Haughton, where he deceived the congregation, so that he could become a deacon of the church and positioned himself and his spouse, Tammie Lynn Wright Holmes, so that the members of the church trusted the defendants, Paul Edward Holmes and Tammie Lynn Wright Holmes, to host social events for their minor girls in their home. The defendants' home was believed to be a safe place for these events to be held for the minor girls, but said events ended up being a decoy so that the defendants, Paul Edward Holmes and Tammie Lynn Wright Holmes, could obtain pornographic images and videos of the minor girls, for their disturbed, sexual enjoyment.

"It is alleged on information and belief that approximately one (1) year prior to the incidents which occurred resulting in this lawsuit, a member of the First Baptist Church of Haughton, during a church meeting, noticed some type of 'device' on the toe of defendant's shoe, and when questioned, the defendant, Paul Edward Holmes, advised that it was an 'audio device that recorded the church sermons, so that he could later listen to them.' This device was obviously noticeable to any passerby and would be especially noticeable to his spouse, Tammie Lynn Wright Holmes.

"Following the arrest of the defendant, Paul Edward Holmes, it was determined that this device on his shoe was actually a camera that was used to take photographs of the underside of the females' skirts and dresses."

The plaintiffs claim that "the acts of defendant Paul Edward Holmes were so obviously open and notorious it is inconceivable that they were hidden from defendant Tammie Lynn Wright Holmes."

The families seek damages for emotional distress, and want to know the names of all the insurers of the Holmes's house.

They are represented by H. Lyn Lawrence Jr. of Bossier City.

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