Actor Timothy Busfield accused of child sex abuse in New Mexico
[January 10, 2026]
By AUDREY McAVOY
Authorities in New Mexico issued an arrest warrant Friday for director
and Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield to face a child sex abuse
charge.
An investigator with the Albuquerque Police Department filed a criminal
complaint in support of the charge, which says a child reported that
Busfield touched him inappropriately. The acts allegedly occurred on the
set of “The Cleaning Lady,” a TV series Busfield directed and acted in.
The child said the first incident happened when he was 7 years old and
Busfield touched him three or four times. Busfield allegedly touched him
five or six times on another occasion when he was 8.
The child's mother reported to Child Protective Services that the abuse
occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024, the complaint said.
Busfield's attorney and agent did not immediately respond to email
messages seeking comment late Friday.
The arrest warrant, which was signed by a judge, said the charge is for
two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor.
According to the complaint, the child, which it identifies only by his
initials, has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and
anxiety. A social worker documented him saying he has had nightmares
about Busfield touching him and woken up scared.
The child was reportedly afraid to tell anyone because Busfield was the
director and he feared he would get mad at him.
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Actor Timothy Busfield smiles before an NFL football game in
Detroit, Sept. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
The investigation began in November 2024, when the investigator
responded to a call from a doctor at the University of New Mexico
Hospital. The child’s parents had gone there at the recommendation of a
law firm, the complaint said.
“The Cleaning Lady” aired for four seasons on Fox, ending in 2025. It
starred Elodie Yung as a Cambodian doctor who comes to the United States
to get medical treatment for her son, witnesses a mob killing and ends
up becoming a cleaner for organized crime.
The show was produced by Warner Bros., which according to the complaint
conducted its own investigation into the abuse allegations but was
unable to corroborate them.
Busfield is known for appearances in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams”
and “Thirtysomething,” the latter of which won him an Emmy for
outstanding supporting actor in a drama series in 1991.
He is married to actor Melissa Gilbert; there was no immediate response
to an email sent to her publicist.
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