7th Heaven Dad allegedly confesses on tape to abusing young girls.

By SHAUNA ANDERSON

Warning: This post deals with allegations of child sexual abuse and may be distressing for some readers.

Update:

More details have reportedly emerged of the contents of the recordings in which actor Stephen Collins allegedly confessed to assaulting young girls.

TMZ reports Collins’ estranged wife Faye Grant secretly recorded the tape — but Grant has denied releasing the tape to the media.

“I woke up today to learn that an extremely private recording I handed over to the authorities in 2012 per their request in connection with a criminal investigation was recently disseminated to the press,” Grant told E! News.

“I had no involvement whatsoever with the release of the tape to the media,” she said.

Collins’ co-star Catherine Hicks, who played the wife of Collins’ character on the show, told TMZ: “Stephen’s a good guy in my opinion.”

Asked if anyone on set had “any kind of suspicion” about Collins, Hicks replied: “No, gosh, no… Not to my knowledge!”

In a tape posted on TMZ, a man recalls exposing himself to a 10-year-old girl.

“There was one instance, where… there was one moment of touching,” the man says, before admitting to similar incidents with two other young girls.

TMZ reports the New York Police Dept. is now conducting an active criminal investigation involving sexual contact with multiple children, while the Screen Actor’s Guild has accepted Mr Collins’ resignation for their board.

The actor’s representatives reportedly did not respond to TMZ or Fox News’ calls for comment.

Previously, Mamamia wrote…

For many he is remembered as the kindly pastor and father in the hit 1990s show 7th Heaven.

The man doling out the advice with a whimsical smile and a hearty laugh.

But stunning revelations overnight have revealed actor Stephen Collins has allegedly been recorded confessing to child abuse.

The recording was reportedly obtained during a marriage counselling session with now estranged wife Faye Grant.

TMZ reports Collins made the disturbing claims two years ago.

The actor was unaware of the recording being made, but according to TMZ it is legal in California to secretly record conversations to gather evidence against a person who has committed a violent felony.

According to reports one victim, an 11-year-old relative of his estranged wife went to police about the abuse, which allegedly took place over a decade ago.

TMZ reports that the actor allegedly told his wife during the sessions he had exposed himself to several underage girls.

TMZ writes:

“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.”

At least two other young victims are allegedly named in the tape, both aged between 12 and 13 at the time.

In the recording he tells his wife that he did try to apologise to one of the young girls after the alleged abuse.

TMZ have spoken to the woman involved who told them that Collins would have her to visit him and his wife in their New York apartment. She alleges that while she was asleep in the guest room he would come in after showering, wearing only a towel. She claims he would then expose himself to her and several times put her hand on his penis. She alleges he would also touch her.

The woman claims that in 2000 she contacted his then wife, Faye grant with an anonymous letter saying her husband was a child abuser.
The New York Daily News reports the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit is investigating the allegations which all took place in 2012.

Stephen Collins played Pastor Eric on 7th Heaven during 1996 and 2007 – during these years he starred with several children series including Jessica Biel who was a teenager at the time.

The case has disturbing similarities to that of Australian actor Robert Hughes who was jailed for 10 years for sexually or indecently assaulting five girls between 1985 and 1990. The victims were aged between seven and 15 years old at the time of his offences.

The repercussions of the leaked tape  of Stephen Collins have already begun, with Entertainment Weekly reporting he has been cut from the movie Ted 2, in which he had a small part.

It is certainly disturbing that police allegedly took two years for an investigation into this to begin, we hope that justice for these young girls allegedly detailed on the Stephen Collins tape is swift and decisive.

We will keep you updated.

If you wish to speak to someone about sexual abuse there is help available contact the Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence National Help Line 1800 Respect (1800 737 732).

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800