I would hope that you guys would have realized this by now, but we don’t really like to cover the really awful stories about molestation and child abuse. Not only are they terrible stories about terrible people, but they’re usually a clusterwhoops to write. But there are so many stories about this Stephen Collins situation, so let’s get to it. Collins was best known for playing a preacher father on 7th Heaven, a notably conservative and family-friendly show back in the day.

First, TMZ published an audio recording of Stephen Collins confessing to his estranged wife Faye Grant – in the middle of a therapy setting – that he had molested several underage girls. The video is from 2012. The incidents of molestation apparently occurred the years previous to that. You can hear the audio here. I didn’t listen to it. According to TMZ:

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. And then they talk about yet another girl. It’s incredible … Collins has trouble keeping the girls straight, but then he gets clear and confirms the incident. We’re told this girl was also from New York and was between 12 and 13 at the time.

TMZ has learned … the NYPD is in possession of the tape, and last Wednesday 2 NYPD detectives from the Special Victims Unit flew to L.A. to interview Grant. We’re told they asked her about the tape and about other potential witnesses. An NYPD official tells TMZ … there is a current, active investigation. The official says there are “at least 3 victims” and the nature of the investigation is “inappropriate sexual contact with minors.”

[From TMZ]

Grant claims she’s not the one who released the tape to TMZ, but she told TMZ that she believes he’s a pedophile. Collins’ lawyer told TMZ that Grant is trying to extort money from him in their divorce proceedings. I tend to believe that Grant is not some do-gooder worried about the children, but then again… how do you even process the fact that your husband is a child molester? So now the NYPD AND the LAPD have open investigations on him.

So, everything moved quickly yesterday. Collins was supposed to play a part in Ted 2, but he was fired flat-out and now Ted 2 producers are looking at rewrites or possibly recasting the part. Collins was also part of the board of the Screen Actors Guild, but he was allowed to drop out of the board yesterday (I’m assuming they were prepared to push him out if he didn’t resign).

And finally, the LAPD swarmed Collins’ home last night when there were reports of gunshots. It was thought that he might have shot himself, but he didn’t. He wasn’t even home.

Anyway, there were more stories but I’m sort of at my limit. Obviously, this guy is disgusting and he needs to be locked up.

Photos courtesy of WENN.