14 DAY TRIAL // In what is bound to be the most shocking revelation of the week, actor Stephen Collins, who played pastor / beloved dad on the hit TV series “7th Heaven,” is a child molester. He admitted to several acts of indecent exposure and inappropriate behavior around minors to his estranged wife Faye Grant.
A tape of his confession has emerged online, triggering an investigation with the NYPD. TMZ has the audio in full, but you can also find it available in the video embedded below.
We should probably warn you that *it contains details that are bound to be deemed offensive, so proceed to pressing play with due consideration.
NYPD confirms there are at least 3 victims
Collins, though a huge TV star back in the day, when “7th Heaven” still aired, has mostly been free of scandal, so the revelation that he’s a child molester comes as a huge shock. Just as shocking is the casual way in which he talks about several incidents of this nature in the therapy session with his wife.
If you listen to the tape, you will see that he refers to at least 3 victims, 2 little girls from New York and 1 from Los Angeles. The Los Angeles incident happened many years before, and Collins says he apologized to her when she grew up.
However, all victims were between 10 and 13 when they were assaulted by the actor, who either exposed himself or acted in an inappropriate manner around them. With the New York victims, the assaults were repeated throughout the years, as per his own admission.
Collins refers to a “list” and “the disclosure” on the tape, with TMZ saying that this is a confession he had already made to Grant. From her reaction on the tape, he wasn’t as specific in “the disclosure” about the number of his victims or the many incidents that had occurred throughout the years.
Grant recorded Collins’ confession without his consent
If you’re wondering how come this recording is coming out now and whether it’s legal to begin with, TMZ says that it is, even if it was made without the actor’s knowledge or consent.
“Grant taped the therapy session. We're told her lawyer advised her it was legal to secretly record the conversation because in California you're allowed to secretly record conversations to gather evidence the other person committed a violent felony... and molesting a child under the age of 14 qualifies,” the celebrity publication informs.
The NYPD has confirmed that an investigation is now underway, with 2 NYPD cops from the Special Victims Unit flying to LA to talk to Grant about the tape and her knowledge of the case.
Collins is being investigated for “inappropriate sexual contact with minors,” with cops believing there are “at least 3 victims.” A publicist for him refused to comment on the serious allegations brought against him at the time of writing.
