‘7th Heaven’ Dad Stephen Collins Described Molesting Children In Therapy

The NYPD is investigating actor Stephen Collins after receiving audio tapes in which he confesses to molesting at least three underage girls, including one child relative of his former wife.

The tapes, published by TMZ this morning, were recorded by the 67-year-old actor’s estranged wife Faye Grant and are totally legal. In California, you can apparently secretly record private conversations if they implicate someone in a felony crime, and since the recordings were unknown to the couple’s therapist, they don’t violate physician-patient privilege.

TMZ says:

You hear Collins flatly confess to molesting an 11-year-old New York girl — a relative of his first wife — saying, “There was one moment of touching where her hand, I put her hand on my penis.” He also acknowledges exposing himself to the girl “a couple of times” … he says when she was 11, 12 and 13.

Grant asks, “When you exposed yourself … did you have an erection?” He responds, “No, I mean, no. Partial, maybe I think.”

Grant then inquires about other girls. Collins mentions an L.A. girl who lived in their neighborhood, but says he tried righting the wrong by apologizing to her years later.

You probably best know Collins as the pastoral father from 7th Heaven, Uncle Saul’s gay partner on Brothers & Sisters, and from gay favorites like The First Wives Club, Broadway’s The Ritz, and ABC’s new (same-sex) family drama The Fosters.

The NYPD has confirmed at least three victims in the investigation of his “inappropriate sexual contact with minors.” Collins unsurprisingly has “no comment.”

You can hear the audio tapes over at TMZ.