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Thread: Actor Timothy Busfield (68) indicted on 4 counts of sexual contact with a child

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    Moderator Bewitchingstorm's Avatar
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    Actor Timothy Busfield (68) indicted on 4 counts of sexual contact with a child

    The U.S. Marshals have joined the search for missing actor and director Timothy Busfield, who is facing two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and an open count of child abuse.

    Busfield, 68, is best known for playing journalist Danny Concannon in the HBO political drama The West Wing and has also appeared in films including Revenge of the Nerds, Field of Dreams, and Quiz Show.

    An arrest warrant was issued in New Mexico on Friday after Busfield was accused of touching two juvenile actors inappropriately while working on the now-cancelled Fox crime series The Cleaning Lady (2022-25), on which he served as executive producer and directed several episodes.

    “Albuquerque Police Department is working with the U.S. Marshal Service to get Mr Busfield into custody,” APD spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos told Deadline.
    While Gallegos said he did not have “a timeline” for the fugitive’s apprehension, the outlet cites law enforcement sources as saying they expect him to be brought into custody within the next few days.

    The incidents over which he has been accused allegedly occurred around five or six times, beginning in November 2022.

    Court documents show that the APD began its investigation into him in November 2024 after staff at the University of New Mexico Hospital told police it appeared children were being groomed on the set of The Cleaning Lady.

    Busfield protested his innocence in a November 2025 phone interview with APD Officer Marvin Brown, cited in the 12-page arrest warrant affidavit, and made a counter-allegation, claiming that an actress on the show had told him that the mother of the two children in question had threatened revenge after they were written out of the project’s final season.
    https://www.the-independent.com/news...-b2899443.html

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    Moderator Bewitchingstorm's Avatar
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    It looks like there is a pattern of behavior.

    A judge once ordered actor and director Timothy Busfield to pay $150,000 to a Minneapolis law firm after rejecting Busfield’s claim that the firm fabricated a sexual assault case against him, per a report.

    In 1996, U.S. District Judge James Ideman ordered the actor, who is married to actress Melissa Gilbert, to reimburse the firm Messerli & Kramer the amount it cost to defend itself in a defamation suit filed by Busfield. After Busfield appealed, the parties settled the defamation case.
    Busfield, 68, had claimed the firm made up a story that he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl, per DeseretNews.com. The girl was an extra on the 1993 movie Little Big League, which he directed, according to the outlet.

    According to DeseretNews.com, Busfield settled the underlying lawsuit with the girl for an undisclosed amount.
    https://people.com/timothy-busfield-...eport-11883012

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    Moderator Bewitchingstorm's Avatar
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    His IG is still active; Melissa deleted hers.

    IG: https://www.instagram.com/timbusfield/?hl=en

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    Wasn't Melissa recently complaining about Little House on the Prarie casting her opposite a grown man that was supposed to be her husband, saying it was skeevy?

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    Moderator Bewitchingstorm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by raisedbywolves View Post
    Wasn't Melissa recently complaining about Little House on the Prarie casting her opposite a grown man that was supposed to be her husband, saying it was skeevy?
    Yes, she was.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bewitchingstorm View Post
    Yes, she was.
    That didn't age well.

    ETA: https://nypost.com/2026/01/13/entert...d-kids-on-set/

    Actor and director Timothy Busfield allegedly admitted to police that it was “highly likely” he touched kids on the New Mexico set of “The Cleaning Lady,” explaining how there were no specific rules regarding physical contact with children on the show.

    The “West Wing” star was questioned by Officer Marvin Brown over whether he had ever had physical contact with the two children at the center of a criminal misconduct investigation against him, according to an arrest warrant obtained by Us Weekly.

    Busfield, 68, reportedly said it was “highly likely that he would have,” adding that the set of “The Cleaning Lady” was a “playful environment.”
    Last edited by raisedbywolves; 01-13-2026 at 08:16 AM.

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    Moderator Bewitchingstorm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by raisedbywolves View Post
    Highly likely he touched them. Geez.

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    What do you care? Boston Babe 73's Avatar
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    Yeah, this is a textbook example of who you think someone is because you know only their public persona isn't REALLY who they are. It's why they say to never meet your heroes. She's known about this all along and just went with it.

    The other thing I didn't realize is that he was "Poindexter" in "Revenge of the Nerds".

    Fucking sicko.
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    Actor Timothy Busfield has surrendered. The actor surrendered to police on Tuesday, Jan. 13, PEOPLE has confirmed.

    "Timothy Busfield has turned himself in at the Metro Detention Center. He will be booked on his warrant," Gilbert Gallegos, Director of Communications for Albuquerque Police Department, said in a statement.

    Busfield filmed himself in a video obtained by TMZ. "I did not do anything wrong," he said.
    "Hi everybody, it's Tim," the video began. "I'm sure most of you know, that are watching this, that I was ordered to come to Albuquerque – I'm here now. I got the call Friday night, I had to get a lawyer. Saturday I got in the car, drove 2,000 miles to Albuquerque. I'm gonna confront these lies. They're horrible."

    He continued, "They're all lies and I did not do anything to those little boys and I'm gonna fight it. I'm gonna fight it with a great team, and I'm gonna be exonerated, I know I am, because this is all so wrong and all lies."

    He concluded by saying. "So hang in there and hopefully I'm out real soon and back to work. I love everybody for supporting me, thank you."
    In the warrant, obtained by PEOPLE, it alleged that Busfield engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with two boys, 11-year-old twins, whose identities were withheld from the public.

    The parents of the victims said the boys met Busfield on the set of the FOX series, The Cleaning Lady, after Busfield joined as a director in season 2 (which aired in 2022), according to the arrest warrant.

    According to the warrant, Busfield "grew closer" to the boys. “It was reported that Timothy would tell his children to call him ‘Uncle Tim,’ ” the warrant alleged.
    Their parents told the officer “that they both discovered that there were allegations against Timothy of sexual assault against both women and minors.”

    The mother asked her sons, "if anyone had ever touched them in a manner that made them feel uncomfortable. The children allegedly responded by asking, ‘You mean like Uncle Tim?’ " according to the warrant.

    The parents were advised by an attorney to take the children to UNMH, where they say professionals suggested the boys “were groomed," per the warrant.
    https://people.com/timothy-busfield-...rimes-11883017

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    Scoopski Potatoes Nic B's Avatar
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    Not going to be hard before those boys are identified, how many twin boys did they have working on the show? I see 2 boys with the same last name that were in a bunch of episodes, gotta be them.


    Quote Originally Posted by marakisses View Post
    yes i said i will leave it under you storage he said cuddle with me i said shut up it over??? what am i doing wrong??
    Quote Originally Posted by curiouscat View Post
    Happy Birthday! I hid a dead body in your backyard to celebrate. Good luck finding it under the cement. You can only use a stick to look for it.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nic B View Post
    Not going to be hard before those boys are identified, how many twin boys did they have working on the show? I see 2 boys with the same last name that were in a bunch of episodes, gotta be them.
    I had the same thought and went and looked at IMDB earlier.

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    Moderator Bewitchingstorm's Avatar
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    I am not sure what all this was about. Seems a bit dramatic.

    Heavily armed federal agents rammed down the door of actor Timothy Busfield’s upstate New York home in a dramatic raid on Tuesday — less than an hour after he turned himself in to police in Albuquerque on child sex abuse charges.

    At least 10 US Marshal’s officers from the New York Regional Fugitive Task Force busted through the front door with a battering ram.
    The officers, wearing helmets and armed with assault rifles and riot gear, searched inside the house for about 10 minutes but found nobody inside. They then moved to the rear of the property and searched an RV parked there and an outhouse.

    They did not appear to take anything with them when they left the property about 20 minutes after arriving.
    https://nypost.com/2026/01/14/us-new...-abuse-arrest/

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    What do you care? Boston Babe 73's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bewitchingstorm View Post
    I am not sure what all this was about. Seems a bit dramatic.





    https://nypost.com/2026/01/14/us-new...-abuse-arrest/
    If only they were this committed when it came to President Pedophile.
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    Senior Member marshmallow's Avatar
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    I was a big Thirty Something fan and it made my stomach turn when I saw this the other day. Were there not children on that show as well?

    It's often the ones we don't suspect who end up being found guilty or proven guilty. As I say for every single case "if the accusations are proven true, nail this sicko to the wall"
    Marshmallow here is the one I liken to Ed Gein... Originally Posted by Heartbroken1


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    Moderator Bewitchingstorm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boston Babe 73 View Post
    If only they were this committed when it came to President Pedophile.
    Exactly!

    Quote Originally Posted by marshmallow View Post
    I was a big Thirty Something fan and it made my stomach turn when I saw this the other day. Were there not children on that show as well?

    It's often the ones we don't suspect who end up being found guilty or proven guilty. As I say for every single case "if the accusations are proven true, nail this sicko to the wall"
    I loved Thirty Something and there were children in that show as well.

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    What do you care? Boston Babe 73's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by marshmallow View Post
    I was a big Thirty Something fan and it made my stomach turn when I saw this the other day. Were there not children on that show as well?

    It's often the ones we don't suspect who end up being found guilty or proven guilty. As I say for every single case "if the accusations are proven true, nail this sicko to the wall"
    That was the other show that I didn't remember he was involved in. I would gander that this show was the one that put him on the map.

    I guess I consider him more a Character Actor than anything, except in Thirty Something he had a big role. He's one of those actors that you recognize as being an actor, but can't quite place what he's been involved in. Maybe I should count myself lucky that I don't know much about him

    Melissa Gilbert, on the other hand, she's considered well known to me. Although I never paid attention to who she was married to.
    Quote Originally Posted by Nic B View Post
    That is too pretty to be shoved up an ass.
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    You can take those Fleets and shove them up your ass



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    Moderator Bewitchingstorm's Avatar
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    Timothy Busfield and Melissa Gilbert are feeling positive following his release from custody.

    The West Wing actor, 68, was released from Metropolitan Detention Center in Bernalillo County, N.M., on Tuesday, Jan. 20, one week after he surrendered to authorities and was charged with child sex abuse crimes. He also denied the claims against him.

    Earlier Tuesday, Busfield appeared in a two-hour pretrial detention hearing, where a judge ruled he would be released on his own recognizance and with conditions while he awaits trial.

    Busfield has been ordered to appear for all his future court dates and is not allowed to possess any firearms or dangerous weapons, consume any alcohol or illegal drugs, have contact with the alleged victims or their families, discuss the case with any witnesses, or have unsupervised contact with any minor children.
    He is allowed to travel; however, he will be under the supervision of Pretrial Services in New Mexico and must notify the court of his address.

    Gilbert was in the courtroom for the hearing, alongside her mom Barbara Cowan, 89, her son Michael Boxleitner and Busfield's brother, Buck.

    After the judge announced Busfield’s release, Gilbert was seen in the courtroom crying and whispering, "Thank you, God."

    Busfield’s civil attorney, Larry Stein, exclusively tells PEOPLE that the actor “feels wonderful” following the ruling. “He can reunite with Melissa,” Stein says, noting that Gilbert, 61, is “very, very excited.”
    https://people.com/melissa-gilbert-f...usive-11889318

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    Scoopski Potatoes Nic B's Avatar
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    Wow. I was waiting for the news that she filed for divorce. Guess she believes him.


    Quote Originally Posted by marakisses View Post
    yes i said i will leave it under you storage he said cuddle with me i said shut up it over??? what am i doing wrong??
    Quote Originally Posted by curiouscat View Post
    Happy Birthday! I hid a dead body in your backyard to celebrate. Good luck finding it under the cement. You can only use a stick to look for it.

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    Moderator Bewitchingstorm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nic B View Post
    Wow. I was waiting for the news that she filed for divorce. Guess she believes him.
    It sounds like she does.

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    Senior Member marshmallow's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bewitchingstorm View Post
    Highly likely he touched them. Geez.


    I can't wrap my brain around that. What the flippity does "highly likely" mean???
    Marshmallow here is the one I liken to Ed Gein... Originally Posted by Heartbroken1


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    Moderator Bewitchingstorm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by marshmallow View Post
    I can't wrap my brain around that. What the flippity does "highly likely" mean???
    Right. I guess that means he did touch them.

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    Senior Member marshmallow's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bewitchingstorm View Post
    Right. I guess that means he did touch them.

    Yeah but it's like sticking an air freshener in the middle of a pile of crap. It's supposed to make it smell better but it really doesn't
    Marshmallow here is the one I liken to Ed Gein... Originally Posted by Heartbroken1


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    Quote Originally Posted by marshmallow View Post
    Yeah but it's like sticking an air freshener in the middle of a pile of crap. It's supposed to make it smell better but it really doesn't
    I know.

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    A New Mexico grand jury has indicted Timothy Busfield on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child.

    Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman announced the indictment Friday in a social media post.
    Larry Stein, an attorney for Busfield, did not comment on the sexual contact charge in the indictment but said the grand jury declined to endorse grooming charges sought by prosecutors.

    He said in a statement that a detention hearing already “exposed fatal weaknesses in the state’s evidence — gaps that no amount of charging decisions can cure.”
    https://www.ktvb.com/article/syndica...5-70026c86adf6

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    Moderator Bewitchingstorm's Avatar
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    After major roles in "Thirtysomething" and "The West Wing," Timothy Busfield's career was waning at 69, but he was still a working actor and director.

    Not anymore, according to his grand jury testimony exclusively obtained by USA TODAY from the district attorney's office in Albuquerque, New Mexico, through a public records request.

    Busfield told the 12-member jury that he can no longer find work. His last hope, he said, was that the child sex abuse allegations against him would not also ruin his wife, actress Melissa Gilbert.

    "My children, grandchildren, everybody in my life is done because of these false allegations for money and for revenge. These two criminals [the boys' parents] have ruined me. And my wife and her business, I'm not going to break that," Busfield said in the hearing in February.
    Busfield told a grand jury that he didn’t touch the twin boys inappropriately. He said their parents wanted revenge for dropping them from the fourth season of the crime-thriller, and they manufactured the abuse and manipulated their children to tell the lie.

    In testimony that spanned more than two hours, Busfield repeatedly apologized for veering off topic, admitted being nervous, and acknowledged "this is all very real and the stakes are very high."

    "My career's done. I'm, I'm canceled. I'll never, I don't, I'll never work again just based on people's fear that I would do this again and, and even if it wasn't true, I’m done. I've lost TV shows, a movie they've digitally replaced me from. My agency fired me. I'm done. This is not about me or a pity thing."

    A trial date has been set for May 2027.
    https://www.usatoday.com/story/enter...t/90912623007/

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