The New York Police Department is investigating former 7th Heaven star Stephen Collins after an audio recording surfaced in which he allegedly admits to molesting young girls.
TMZ posted the audio early Tuesday, reporting that the audio was secretly recorded by Collins’ estranged wife, Faye Grant, during a therapy session in 2012.
See more Stars Behaving Badly: From Justin Bieber to Reese Witherspoon, Hollywood’s Mugshots
In the recording, the man whose voice is identified as Collins’ admits to having inappropriate sexual contact with three young girls.
At one point, Grant asked Collins: “When you exposed yourself to [name redacted]’s 10-year-old sister, did you have an erection?”
He replied: “No, I mean, no. Partial, maybe I think.”
Collins added that “the exposure happened a couple of times” when the girl — who is said to be a relative of Collins’ first wife, Marjorie Weinman — was between the ages 11 and 13. He also admitted: “There was one moment of touching where her hand, I put her hand on my penis.”
Read more Dylan Farrow’s Brother Says Woody Allen ‘Did Not Molest My Sister’
Grant went on to question him about “other girls,” demanding their names. He said one was a “the niece of the woman who lived” in their neighborhood. He said he “made amends” to her “about 12 or 15 years ago.”
They also talk about another girl. “So it’s just three,” Grant asked. “Yes,” he replied.
TMZ reported that Grant’s attorney told her it was legal to secretly record the conversation because California law allows it for the purposes of gathering evidence for a possible felony, and molesting a child younger than 14 qualifies. Grant and Collins are in the process of getting a divorce.
“There is a formal complaint on file, and the incident is being investigated by the Manhattan Special Victims Squad,” an NYPD spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.
Read more Suspected Child Molester Recently Featured on CNN Crime Show Killed in NYC Shootout
Collins’ reps have not yet responded to THR.
In addition to playing the patriarch, Rev. Eric Camden, on 7th Heaven from 1996 to 2007, Collins also has had roles on Private Practice, No Ordinary Family, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The Fosters.
