Timothy Busfield accused of child sex abuse in New Mexico

Allegations of child sex abuse have been leveled against award-winning actor and director Timothy Busfield in New Mexico, leading to an arrest warrant being issued. The Albuquerque Police Department investigator filed a criminal complaint outlining the charges, claiming that a child reported Busfield touched him inappropriately on multiple occasions. These alleged acts took place on the set of a television series called “The Cleaning Lady,” which Busfield both directed and acted in.

The child, who was just 7 years old at the time of the first incident, revealed that Busfield had touched him improperly three or four times during one encounter. Another incident allegedly occurred when the child was 8 years old, where Busfield touched him five or six times. The child’s mother reported the abuse to Child Protective Services, detailing that the incidents took place between November 2022 and spring 2024.

An arrest warrant signed by a judge outlined two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor against Busfield. The child, identified only by initials in the complaint, has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. His accounts were documented by a social worker who reported that the child had nightmares about Busfield touching him and was afraid to speak up due to fear of retaliation from the director.

The investigation was initiated in November 2024 after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital contacted authorities based on the child’s parents’ visit. The child’s parents had been advised to seek medical help by a law firm, as outlined in the complaint. “The Cleaning Lady,” the television series in question, ran for four seasons on Fox and ended in 2025. The show featured Elodie Yung as a Cambodian doctor who witnesses a mob killing and gets involved in organized crime.

Warner Bros, the production company behind the series, conducted its own investigation into the abuse allegations but was unable to corroborate them. Busfield, known for his roles in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams,” and “Thirtysomething,” is married to actor Melissa Gilbert. No immediate response was received from her publicist regarding the allegations against Busfield.