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Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield will make his first court appearance on Wednesday, one day after turning himself in to authorities to face child sex abuse charges after he was accused of inappropriately touching a minor on the set of a TV series he directed. New Mexico.
albuquerque Police issued a warrant for his arrest last week on two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and one count of child abuse. A criminal complaint says the acts occurred on the set of the Albuquerque-filmed series “The Cleaning Lady.”
Busfield, whose husband is actress Melissa Gilbert, known for her roles in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams” and “30”, has vowed to fight the charges. In a video shared before turning himself in, Busfield called the accusations lies.
Prosecutors are seeking to have Busfield detained pending trial. They filed a motion earlier Wednesday detailing their reasons for the request and pointing to a documented pattern of sexual misconduct, abuse of power and grooming by Bousfield spanning two decades. They also said witnesses expressed fear of retaliation and professional harm.
The motion states that research and experience show that offenders, when exercising power, status or influence, are in a unique position to evade responsibility and circumvent safeguards designed to protect children.
“Given the disregard defendant has demonstrated for boundaries, authority, and compliance, no condition or combination of conditions of release will reasonably protect the victim or the community,” the motion states.
It will be up to a judge to decide whether to grant the request. A detention hearing has not yet been scheduled.
Prosecutors also raised questions about Bousfield’s dissemination of a video to the media TMZ Tuesday, suggesting he prioritized “personal narrative control and public relations” over complying with court proceedings.
According to the criminal complaint, a police department investigator said the child reported that Bousfield repeatedly touched his private parts through his clothes when he was 7 years old. Bousfield allegedly touched him again when he was 8 years old, the complaint states.
The complaint also states that the child was reportedly afraid to tell anyone because Busfield was the director and he feared he would be angry with him.
The boy’s twin brother told authorities he was also touched by Bousfield but did not specify where. He said he didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to get in trouble.
Twin mother reports to reporters child protective services The abuse occurred between November 2022 and the spring of 2024, according to the complaint.
In an interview with police last fall, Busfield denied the allegations and suggested the boy’s mother was seeking revenge for her child’s replacement in the series. Bousfield’s attorney echoed that sentiment Tuesday.
The investigation began in November 2024 after receiving a call from a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque. The boy’s parents went there on the recommendation of a law firm, according to the complaint.
Busfield’s attorney said Warner Bros.’ independent investigation could not substantiate the allegations of inappropriate behavior by Busfield. But prosecutors argued in the filing that investigators failed to speak with key witnesses.
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Lee is from Santa Fe, New Mexico.