'West Wing' actor Timothy Busfield turns himself in to face child sex
abuse charges in New Mexico
[January 14, 2026]
By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN AND MORGAN LEE
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield
turned himself in to authorities Tuesday and vowed to fight charges of
child sex abuse stemming from allegations that he inappropriately
touched a minor on the set of a TV series he was directing in New
Mexico.
His apprehension comes after authorities in Albuquerque issued a warrant
for his arrest on Friday on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a
minor and one count of child abuse. A criminal complaint alleges the
acts occurred on the set of the series “The Cleaning Lady,” which was
filmed in Albuquerque.
Busfield, who is married to actor Melissa Gilbert, 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.
“Tim voluntarily appeared before New Mexico authorities after traveling
across the country to confront these false and deeply troubling
allegations,” said Stanton Stein, an attorney for Busfield. “He is
innocent and is determined to clear his name.”
Busfield was booked by Albuquerque police on the charges, said Gilbert
Gallegos, spokesperson for the city police department. A first
appearance in court was scheduled for Wednesday.
NBC shelved an episode of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” that
featured Busfield and was set to air Thursday, a network spokesperson
confirmed Tuesday to The Associated Press. Busfield was guest-starring
as the judge on the long-running show, which focuses on sex crimes.
The criminal complaint filed by an investigator with the police
department says the boy reported that he was 7 years old when Busfield
touched him three or four times on private areas over his clothing.
Busfield allegedly touched him five or six times on another occasion
when he was 8, the complaint said.
Busfield has denied the allegations
Busfield denied the allegations when interviewed by authorities last
fall as part of an investigation, according to the complaint.
The complaint also says the child was reportedly afraid to tell anyone
because Busfield was the director and he feared he would get mad at him.
The boy's twin brother told authorities he was touched by Busfield but
did not specify where. He said he didn't say anything because he didn't
want to get in trouble.
When he was interviewed by authorities as part of the investigation,
Busfield suggested that the boys' mother was seeking revenge for her
children being replaced on the series — an argument echoed Tuesday by
Busfield's attorney. Busfield also previously said he likely would have
picked up and tickled the boys, saying the set was a playful
environment.
Lawyer says Warner Bros. investigation unable to corroborate
complaint
On Tuesday, Stein invoked the results of a private investigation by
Warner Bros. to assert that the allegations are false. The investigator
hired by Warner Bros. could not immediately be contacted by phone or
email.
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Timothy Busfield appears at the 2020 ABC Television Critics
Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 8, 2020.
(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
 Authorities say the Warner Bros.
investigation was unable to corroborate details of an anonymous
complaint to a union workplace hotline after its private
investigator “was not able to talk with anyone who would support
evidence that Timothy Busfield engaged in this behavior.”
A video obtained by TMZ showed Busfield in front of a window with
the Albuquerque skyline in the backdrop. He said he arrived in the
city after driving 2,000 miles (3,219 kilometers).
“I’m going to confront these lies. They’re horrible. They’re all
lies,” Busfield said.
Marshals Service involved in search for Busfield
The search for Busfield involved the U.S. Marshals Service and
extended to New York before Busfield appeared in the video and
arrived at a metropolitan detention center, Gallegos said.
“We had the U.S. Marshals' office looking in New York in particular,
and other cities,” Gallegos said.
The mother of the twins — who are identified only by their initials
in court records — reported to Child Protective Services that the
abuse occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024, the complaint
said.
Busfield’s wife, Gilbert, indicated through a publicist that she
won’t speak publicly at the request of attorneys for Busfield while
the legal process unfolds.
“Her focus is on supporting and caring for their very large family,”
publicist Ame Van Iden said in a statement. “Melissa stands with and
supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate
time.”
The investigation began in November 2024, when the investigator
responded to a call from a doctor at the University of New Mexico
Hospital in Albuquerque. The boys' parents had gone there at the
recommendation of a law firm, the complaint said.
According to the complaint, one of the boys has been diagnosed with
post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. A social worker
documented him saying he has had nightmares about Busfield touching
him.
“The Cleaning Lady” aired for four seasons on Fox, ending in 2025.
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.
___
Associated Press journalist Mallika Sen in New York contributed to
this report. Lee contributed from Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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