Stephen Collins -- Home Free in Child Molestation Investigations

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http://www.tmz.com/2014/10/18/stephen-collins-molestation-prosecuted-child-molester-statute-of-limitations/

Stephen Collins -- a self-proclaimed child molester -- will NOT be prosecuted for either molesting or exposing himself to the 3 victims ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

TMZ posted audio of Collins confessing to wife Faye Grant that he molested and/or exposed himself to 3 girls ... ages 11 - 13. And, as we reported ... the NYPD and the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. have open investigations. The LAPD is also looking into the case they closed 2 years ago.

But law enforcement sources in all 3 police departments tell TMZ ... the cases will go nowhere. All 3 cases are decades old, and our sources say prosecution would be barred by the statute of limitations.

The NYPD case is the one with the best argument that the statute hasn't run ... as we reported the victim came forward in 2012 and spoke with NY detectives. But that case involves an incident in the 70s and we're told law enforcement has all but given up on a viable case.