Busfield turns himself in after Albuquerque warrant
“West Wing” actor Timothy Busfield turned himself in to New Mexico authorities Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
Albuquerque issued a warrant for Busfield’s arrest on Friday, stemming from allegations that he touched a minor inappropriately on the set of a TV series he was directing in New Mexico. The charges referenced in the warrant are two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse, the AP reported.
Allegations tied to “The Cleaning Lady” set
The criminal complaint alleges the acts occurred on the set of the series “The Cleaning Lady,” which was filmed in Albuquerque, according to the AP report.
The complaint says a boy reported that he was 7 years old when Busfield touched him three or four times on private areas over his clothing. It also says Busfield allegedly touched him five or six times on another occasion when the boy was 8. The complaint further states the child was reportedly afraid to tell anyone because Busfield was the director.
The twin brother told authorities he was touched by Busfield but did not specify where, the complaint said, adding that he did not speak up because he did not want to get in trouble.
Attorney: Busfield is innocent; Warner Bros. review couldn’t corroborate
Busfield’s attorney, Stanton Stein, said Busfield voluntarily appeared after traveling across the country to confront what Stein called “false and deeply troubling allegations,” and that Busfield is innocent and determined to clear his name.
Stein invoked the results of a private investigation by Warner Bros. to assert that the allegations are false. The AP reported that authorities said the private investigation was unable to corroborate details of an anonymous complaint to a union workplace hotline because the investigator “was not able to talk with anyone who would support evidence” that Busfield engaged in the alleged behavior.
The AP also reported that Busfield denied the allegations when interviewed by authorities last fall as part of the investigation.
Court date set after booking; marshals involved in search
The AP reported that Albuquerque police booked Busfield on the charges, with a first appearance in court scheduled for Wednesday.
The search for Busfield involved the U.S. Marshals Service and extended to New York before he appeared in a video and arrived at a metropolitan detention center, Albuquerque police spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said. Gallegos said: “We had the U.S. Marshals’ office looking in New York in particular, and other cities.”
Public response and TV schedule changes
On Tuesday, NBC shelved an episode of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” featuring Busfield that had been set to air Thursday, a network spokesperson confirmed to the Associated Press. In the episode, Busfield was guest-starring as the judge.
The AP reported that a video obtained by TMZ showed Busfield in front of a window with the Albuquerque skyline behind him. In the video, Busfield said he arrived after driving 2,000 miles (3,219 kilometers) and said: “I’m going to confront these lies. They’re horrible. They’re all lies.”
Gilbert says she will not speak publicly
Busfield is married to actor Melissa Gilbert. The AP reported that Gilbert’s publicist, Ame Van Iden, said Gilbert will not speak publicly at the request of Busfield’s attorneys while the legal process unfolds.
Van Iden said: “Her focus is on supporting and caring for their very large family,” and that “Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time.”
Investigation timeline and background
The AP reported that the investigation began in November 2024 after an investigator responded to a call from a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque. The complaint said the boys’ parents had gone to the hospital at the recommendation of a law firm.
The AP added that the complaint says the twins’ mother reported to Child Protective Services that the abuse occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024. It also reported that social worker documentation described the boy having nightmares about Busfield touching him, and that the complaint said one of the boys has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.
The report said “The Cleaning Lady” ran for four seasons on Fox, ending in 2025, and was produced by Warner Bros.