Actor Timothy Busfield, known for his roles in “West Wing” and “Field of Dreams,” is facing legal trouble after being indicted by a grand jury in New Mexico on four counts of criminal sexual contact involving a child under 13. The charges stem from his time as a director on the television series “The Cleaning Lady” from 2022 to 2024.
Despite denying the allegations initially brought forth by the police, Busfield’s defence attorney stated that he will vigorously defend against the charges. The indictment was announced by Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman in a social media post.
Busfield voluntarily surrendered to authorities in January related to the charges filed by the police but was released from custody by a judge who found no prior criminal behavior or similar accusations involving children in Busfield’s past. The grand jury’s decision to indict him allows the legal proceedings to move forward without a preliminary hearing.
Larry Stein, Busfield’s attorney, mentioned that the grand jury did not approve grooming charges sought by the prosecutors. Stein emphasized that there were significant flaws in the evidence presented during the detention hearing and expressed confidence in challenging the state’s case in court.
An investigator from the Albuquerque Police Department revealed that a boy alleged Busfield touched his private areas over his clothing at the ages of seven and eight. The boy’s twin also claimed to have been similarly touched by Busfield but did not report it immediately out of fear.
The indictment details multiple instances where Busfield allegedly touched the intimate parts of one of the boys. Prosecutors have highlighted a pattern of grooming behavior and abuse of power by Busfield spanning decades. Each count in the indictment carries a potential prison sentence of six years, with the possibility of enhancement for sexual offenses.
Following his initial arrest, Busfield was released as the court did not find sufficient evidence to deem him a danger to the public. Married to actor Melissa Gilbert, Busfield is recognized for his roles in various TV shows and movies, including “Thirtysomething,” for which he received an Emmy award in 1991 for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series.
