Actor Timothy Busfield ordered held without bond in New Mexico child sex
abuse case
[January 15, 2026]
By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN and MORGAN LEE
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield was
ordered held without bond at his first court appearance Wednesday, a day
after turning himself in to face 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.
Busfield appeared remotely via a video link from jail, where he was
booked Tuesday. Whether he remains in jail will be the subject of a
detention hearing that will be scheduled within five business days.
Albuquerque police issued a warrant for his arrest last week 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 the city.
Busfield, who is married to actor Melissa Gilbert and is known for
appearances in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams” and “Thirtysomething,”
has vowed to fight the charges. In a video shared before turning himself
in, Busfield called the allegations lies.
During Wednesday's brief court appearance, Busfield stood silent and
expressionless, dressed in orange prison clothes, while a defense
attorney spoke on his behalf.
Prosecutors are seeking to keep Busfield in custody pending trial. They
filed a motion early Wednesday pointing to what they described as a
documented pattern of sexual misconduct, abuse of authority and grooming
behavior by Busfield over two decades. They also said witnesses have
expressed fear regarding retaliation and professional harm.
Defense attorney Larry Stein said Busfield submitted to an independent
polygraph test within the last couple of days. There was “no deception —
(he) passed the polygraph test,” Stein said by phone Wednesday.
“We plan on responding in detail to establish that he should not be
detained" as the case proceeds, Stein said.
New Mexico is among a few states that allow polygraph evidence in
criminal cases, said Laurie Levenson, a professor at Loyola Law School
in Los Angeles and a former federal prosecutor. But a judge would have
final say over whether it can be used, she said, and there are strict
requirements for admission.
“It may not be a test that qualifies,” Levenson said of the polygraph
cited by Busfield’s attorneys. “But it’s something that helps the
defense maybe both in the court of public opinion and maybe in
approaching law enforcement and the prosecutors with taking another look
at the case.”
The detention motion from prosecutors states that research and
experience show that offenders are uniquely positioned to evade
accountability and circumvent safeguards designed to protect children
when they wield authority, status or influence.
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A screen displays a video link of Timothy Busfield during his court
appearance from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque,
N.M., on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, at the Bernalillo County
Metropolitan Court. (Chancey Bush/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)
 “In light of the defendant’s
demonstrated disregard for boundaries, authority and compliance, no
condition or combination of conditions of release can reasonably
protect the victims or the community,” the motion states.
Prosecutors also took issue with Busfield disseminating a video to
the media outlet TMZ on Tuesday, suggesting he was prioritizing
“personal narrative control and public relations" over compliance
with the court process.
According to the criminal complaint, an investigator with the police
department says the child reported that he was 7 years old when
Busfield touched him multiple times on private areas over his
clothing. Busfield allegedly touched him on another occasion when he
was 8, the complaint said.
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 also 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.
The mother of the twins reported to Child Protective Services that
the abuse occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024, the
complaint said.
In an interview with police last fall, Busfield denied the
allegations and suggested that the boys' mother was seeking revenge
for her children being replaced on the series. The argument was
echoed by Busfield's attorney Tuesday.
The investigation began in November 2024 after 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.
Busfield's attorney said an independent investigation by Warner
Bros. was unable to corroborate allegations of inappropriate
behavior by Busfield. But prosecutors in their filing argued that
the investigator failed to talk to key witnesses.
___
Lee contributed from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Matthew Brown contributed
from Billings, Montana.
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