crime

7th Heaven’s Stephen Collins Confesses to Sexually Abusing Children

Photo: Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images

In a statement to People, 7th Heaven star Stephen Collins confirms that he molested a female child and exposed himself to others over the course of several decades. “Forty years ago, I did something terribly wrong that I deeply regret,†Collins writes. “I have been working to atone for it ever since.†The actor says that he abused three different girls from 1973 to 1994, but maintains that he has “not had the impulse to act out in any such way†ever since. Collins claims he reached out to apologize to one of his victims, but after being informed that doing so could trigger traumatic memories for the women, he has not contacted the other two. Due to the statute of limitations, Collins will not be prosecuted.

Stephen Collins Confesses to Abusing Children