While I don't think it was right for the elders to confiscate it and delete everything on it, I think I would have considered that possibility and made a back up copy.
Who's to say that possibility wasn't considered and hoped for? Them wiley apostates can come up with all sorts of schemes!Would serve those cocky power tripping snoops right though!
but I don't want to impugn nefarious motives on anyone. I'd say that Sean guy really believes those were his only copies of those files but maybe his wife made back ups unbeknownst to him. This is fun stuff to follow.