Authorities in New Mexico issued an arrest warrant Friday for director and Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield, charging him with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor.
The allegations, detailed in a criminal complaint filed by an Albuquerque Police Department investigator, stem from reports by a child who said Busfield touched him inappropriately on multiple occasions while working on the set of the TV series The Cleaning Lady. The child said the first incidents occurred at age 7 and continued at age 8.
The complaint indicates the abuse took place between November 2022 and spring 2024 and was reported to Child Protective Services by the child’s mother. The child, identified only by initials in court documents, has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, and described experiencing nightmares about the alleged incidents.
Busfield’s attorney and agent did not respond to requests for comment Friday. The arrest warrant was signed by a judge following the investigation, which began in November 2024 after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital alerted authorities.
The Cleaning Lady, produced by Warner Bros., aired for four seasons on Fox, ending in 2025. The company conducted its own investigation into the allegations but could not corroborate them.
Busfield is widely recognized for his roles in The West Wing, Field of Dreams, and the Emmy-winning series Thirtysomething. He is married to actor Melissa Gilbert, whose publicist had not responded to inquiries as of Friday.
