The sordid case was a sad footnote for a man who became famous for playing the Rev. Eric Camden, a beloved figure on the hit TV show 7th Heaven during its 11-season run and also played a key role in Star Trek: The Motion Picture as Cmdr. Will Decker. I noted back in October that Collins hadn't been charged yet and hadn't formally admitted to molesting anyone.
Now he has admitted to molesting three young girls between 1973 and 1994 in a statement he released to People Magazine. The 67-year-old described three specific incidents in graphic detail which were included on a tape secretly recorded by Grant of an otherwise confidential couples therapy session between Collins and Grant in 2012.
"Forty years ago, I did something terribly wrong that I deeply regret," Collins said in the statement. "I have been working to atone for it ever since."
All the supposed good those contrite-sounding words may have done likely was wiped out with the defiant tone intimated by his subsequent comments about the leaked confession.
"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."
It's true that leaking a secretly taped conversation opens the door to legal problems in its own right. But this reaction suggests that Collins is trying to deflect at least some of the criticism on the methods Grant used to bring these accusations to light.
"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."
The truth is that Collins' now admitted actions are some of the ugliest, most heinous crimes that can be visited on children. They deserve the kind of scorn which is increasingly being visited on the people who truly deserve such scorn, people who commit various acts of exploitation.
Cases of sexual and other forms of abuse have taken center stage this year, especially in light of incidents such as Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson's abuse of his 4-year-old son by hitting him with a switch. That led to what amounted to an indefinite suspension from the National Football League and what has now become a protracted legal battle as the league and Peterson battle over what was allegedly supposed to be a two-game suspension.
Besides abuse inflicted on minors, the case of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice knocking out his then-fiance Janay Palmer brought the NFL's domestic violence policy under much-needed scrutiny, even though the league made itself look bad by essentially subjecting both Peterson and Rice to double jeopardy. The stories of alleged drugging and sexual assaults by Bill Cosby also underscore the massive problems society needs to address.
The league may not be subject to constitutional prohibitions against double jeopardy, but the NFL Players Association argues the league can't punish players a second time for the same offense based on its collective bargaining agreement. That's why it was so critical to get it right the first time, and why the league's mild punishment was so problematic.
If there's one good thing to come from all the reports of domestic violence and sexual abuse, the fact that many people are now having difficult conversations that would have been suppressed in recent years may shine enough of a light in the hidden dark corners of society to force much-needed changes to how we treat abusers and victims.
Whether various statutes of limitations mean Collins, Cosby or anyone else who may be guilty of abuse in years past will face the music of legal ramifications or not, the fact that these accusations have brought hidden demons out into the open may prove to be its own form of justice.
