01/10/2026
WEST WING ACTOR TIMOTHY BUSFIELD CHARGED WITH CHILD SA!
Veteran actor and director Timothy Busfield, best known for his roles in The West Wing, Thirtysomething and Field of Dreams, is the subject of an arrest warrant filed in New Mexico on child s3x abuse charges, authorities said Friday.
Busfield, 68, faces two counts of criminal s3xual contact of a minor stemming from allegations that he inappropriately touched a child multiple times while directing and acting on the set of the television series The Cleaning Lady, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Albuquerque Police Department.
The investigation began in November 2024 after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital reported the suspected abuse.
Two child actors — twin brothers — have made allegations. The complaint alleges the first incident occurred when the child was 7 years old, with the actor allegedly touching him three to four times, and a separate incident when the child was 8, involving five to six inappropriate contacts. Statements allege Busfield engaged in inappropriate physical contact, described by some reports as touching in “private areas.”
The child’s mother reported the alleged abuse to Child Protective Services, stating that the conduct occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024 while Busfield was working on the show.
Busfield (through legal channels) denies the allegations. Some reporting says he described interactions as playful tickling and claimed the accusations were related to disappointment that the children were not cast in a final season.
The statements allege, however, that the behavior was beyond tickling and has caused emotional and mental damage- One child has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety, and reportedly suffers nightmares connected to the alleged incidents.
Law enforcement descriptions in the warrant characterize aspects of the relationship as grooming, including Busfield telling the children to call him “Uncle Tim.” Reports note that before Busfield joined production, parents had remote monitoring devices (iPads) on set, but this changed later, which raised concerns in some interviews.
The studio behind The Cleaning Lady — Warner Bros. — said it takes all allegations seriously and cooperates with law enforcement, though its own internal review reportedly did not substantiate the claims.
Busfield is an Emmy Award–winning actor and director with decades of film and television work, and he is married to Little House on the Prairie actress Melissa Gilbert.
Under the U.S. legal system, an arrest warrant and allegations are not determinations of guilt, and Busfield is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Sources: People, DailyMail, KRWG, ABC7
