'7th Heaven' actor Stephen Collins admits molesting three young girls

By RYAN GORMAN

Disgraced actor Stephen Collins has admitted to repeatedly molesting three underage females.

The 67-year-old pedophile made the confession in a statement to People magazine, saying the incidents occurred between 1973 and 1994, but not since.

"I have not had an impulse to act out in any such way," the actor insisted.

Collins' statement to the magazine starts with an apology.

"Forty years ago, I did something terribly wrong that I deeply regret," the former "7th Heaven" star said.

"I have been working to atone for it ever since. I've decided to address these issues publicly because two months ago, various news organizations published a recording made by my then-wife, Faye Grant, during a confidential marriage therapy session in January, 2012.

"This session was recorded without the therapist's or my knowledge or consent."

Grant released the recordings to TMZ, setting off a firestorm that saw the hit show yanked from syndication and Collins being dropped from multiple projects he was working on.

"On the recording, I described events that took place 20, 32, and 40 years ago," Collins continues. "The publication of the recording has resulted in assumptions and innuendos about what I did that go far beyond what actually occurred.

"As difficult as this is, I want people to know the truth."

Part of that truth is an admission by Collins that he has directly apologized to only one of his victims.

"I did have an opportunity to do so with one of the women, 15 years later. I apologized and she was extraordinarily gracious," said a seemingly delusional Collins.

"But after I learned in the course of my treatment that my being direct about such matters could actually make things worse for them by opening old wounds, I have not approached the other two women, one of whom is now in her 50s and the other in her 30s."

Collins and Grant are in the midst of a bitter divorce.

The child molester agreed to an interview with Yahoo! News' Katie Couric that will air this Friday on ABC's "20/20."

There is a statute of limitations for the illicit acts Collins admitted to, it is not clear if he will ever face charges for the crimes.