Actor Stephen Collins makes a stunning confession that he molested three young girls. INSIDE EDITION reports.
In a first-person account in People magazine titled "A Stunning Confession," Stephen Collins is finally coming clean, admitting that he molested three young girls.
The disgraced actor, who played a minister on 7th Heaven, wrote, "Forty years ago I did something terribly wrong that I deeply regret."
He goes on to give disturbing details of what he did to a pre-teen girl in 1973.
"When the girl and I were watching TV, I moved her hand in such a way that caused her to touch me inappropriately. It lasted less than a minute," wrote Collins.
He also admits to exposing himself to two teenagers in 1982 and 1994.
Collins commented, "The first instance lasted seconds, and the second about a minute."
Kate Coyne of People magazine said, "This is not the sort of thing that any star would ever likely admit to, and he is doing it with a full on confession."
Collins' article in People magazine is part of a confessional tour this week, with interviews scheduled with Katie Couric on Yahoo! News and ABC's 20/20.
The abuse first came to light two months ago when audio recordings surfaced. The recordings were secretly made during a marriage therapy session with his now estranged wife Faye Grant.
In the recording, Collins said, "She was 11 and then like 12 and 13."
Grant responded, "Oh my God just three, you're sure?"
"Yes," said Collins.
Collins' claims he has been in therapy for more than two decades and has not had an urge to abuse young girls since then.
Coyne commented, "Stephen says that for the last 20 years he has been in continuous treatment between therapy, prayer, meditation, 12 step groups, and he says that out of respect for the three young women he harmed he will do so for the rest of his life."
Collins makes a point of saying that nothing inappropriate happened on the set of 7th Heaven, which co-starred a teenage Jessica Biel.
Collins said, "I never behaved inappropriately on or off that set, or on any set I've ever worked on since."
But, could he really be cured? INSIDE EDITION asked psychotherapist Jeffrey Gardere.
Gardere said, "The only way that you can stop this kind of behavior is to be continually monitored, to get treatment for the rest of your life. If you stop getting treatment then the overwhelming chances are you may act out again."
See What Else Gardere Told INSIDE EDITION about Collins' Confession
Collins says he has reached out to one of his victims.
"I apologized and she was extraordinarily gracious," he said.
But, he says has not contacted the other two women because he says he fears it would quote "open old wounds."
Collins wrote, "I deeply regret the mistakes I have made and any pain I have caused these three women. I admit to, apologize for, and take responsibility for what I did."
