Emmy winner Timothy Busfield indicted in child sex case

Emmy-winning actor and director Timothy Busfield has been indicted by a New Mexico grand jury on four felony counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, state prosecutors said.

The indictment, unsealed on February 6, relates to allegations made by child actors who worked with Busfield on the New Mexico set of the Fox television series The Cleaning Lady, where he served as a director and producer. The state charges supersede earlier charges announced by the Bernalillo County prosecutor last month, as per British media reports.

Busfield, 68, known for his roles in The West Wing, Thirtysomething, and Field of Dreams, has denied all allegations. He surrendered to authorities in Albuquerque last month after a warrant was issued for his arrest and was later released pending trial.

Initially, Busfield had been taken into custody on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse. The new indictment expands the case to four felony counts, each carrying a potential sentence of up to six years in prison.

According to the indictment reviewed by the BBC, prosecutors allege that between October 19, 2022, and September 10, 2023, Busfield “touched or applied force to the intimate parts” of one unnamed boy who was under the age of 13 at the time.

Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman said the case would now proceed through the judicial system. “As with all criminal proceedings, Mr Busfield is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law,” Bregman said, adding that protecting children remains a priority for his office.

Busfield’s civil attorney, Stanton “Larry” Stein, said the indictment was expected but criticized the decision to move forward with the case, calling it “fundamentally unsound” and unlikely to succeed at trial. Stein said a detention hearing held last month exposed “fatal weaknesses” in the prosecution’s evidence.

“This prosecution appears driven by something other than the facts or the law,” Stein said, adding that Busfield would contest the charges at every stage.

In January, Judge David A. Murphy authorised Busfield’s release on his own recognisance, without bail, requiring only that he appear at all future court proceedings.

Busfield’s defence team submitted more than 70 letters attesting to his character and said the actor had taken and passed a polygraph test related to the allegations. At a January hearing, defence attorney Amber Fayerberg argued that Busfield no longer held any power that could be exploited, saying he had effectively been “cancelled,” dropped by his talent agency, and edited out of a recently completed romantic comedy.

Prosecutors allege that the parents of two boys reported that Busfield groomed and sexually abused the children while working on The Cleaning Lady set. According to an arrest affidavit, the boys referred to him as “Uncle Tim” and said he would tickle them on their stomachs and legs. One boy told investigators that the alleged inappropriate touching began when he was seven years old and continued for years, and that he was afraid to report it because he feared Busfield would become angry.

Busfield’s lawyers have said the allegations were fabricated and claim the accusations were motivated by retaliation after the children were removed from the television series, angering their mother.

By Tamilla Hasanova