Stephen Collins under investigation for alleged child molestation
Stephen Collins recently made headlines when the "7th Heaven" gang got together for a Camden family reunion, but now the actor, who played the Rev. Eric Camden on the series, is making headlines for an entirely different reason.
Early Tuesday morning, TMZ posted audio in which it says Collins, 67, reveals to his estranged wife, 57-year-old actress Faye Grant, that he molested and exposed himself to underage girls in the past.
CBS News has confirmed that the New York Police Department now has "a formal complaint on file and the incident is being investigated by the Manhattan Special Victims Squad," according to a department spokesperson.
TMZ says that the tape was recorded during a therapy session in 2012. CBS News has not verified that the voices are those of Collins and Grant. Throughout the audio there are multiple mentions of "disclosure" and a "list" in context to incidents involving girls between the ages of 10 - 13.
The female voice sounds clearly upset as she asks, "When you exposed yourself, did you have an erection?" The male responds, "No, I mean, no. Partial, maybe I think."
She then proceeds to drill him with questions, asking what "kinds of things" he said to the young girls. "The exposure happened a couple of times," he says, noting, "There was never any conversation around it."
Two NYPD detectives recently flew to Los Angeles to interview Grant, reports TMZ. The names of the girls are bleeped out on the tape, but one of the alleged victims is reportedly a relative of Collins' first wife, says TMZ. There's believed to have been at least three victims involved.
Following word of the investigation, Collins was dropped from "Ted 2," according to Entertainment Weekly. TMZ says he also resigned his position on the National Board of the Screen Actors Guild.
Collins was married to his first wife, Marjorie Weinman, from 1970-1978. Grant and Collins married in 1985 and have one daughter together, born in 1989. Collins filed for divorce from Grant on May 7, 2012.
"My wife and I are moving forward separately in our lives," he said in a statement at the time. "She has been my dearest friend and a loving mother. I know that we'll go through this process in a way that honors our family."
Aside from the long-running series "7th Heaven," Collins has appeared in the TV series "Revolution," "Sisters," "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." On the big screen, he's appeared in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," "All the President's Men" and "Blood Diamond."