Timothy Busfield Faces Serious Charges of Child Abuse

Fri Jan 16 2026 13:58:35 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Actor Timothy Busfield, known for his roles in 'Thirtysomething' and 'The West Wing,' has been charged with sexually abusing minors on the set of 'The Cleaning Lady.'

Timothy Busfield has been arrested on charges of criminal sexual contact with minors during the filming of 'The Cleaning Lady.' His lawyer vehemently denies the allegations, suggesting they may be rooted in revenge after the alleged victims' exits from the show. In a startling turn, new allegations of past misconduct also emerged during the investigation.

Actor Timothy Busfield has made his first court appearance after turning himself in on criminal charges that he allegedly sexually abused two boys on the set of a TV series filmed in New Mexico, prosecutors say.

The Emmy-winning actor, who starred in Thirtysomething and The West Wing, was taken into custody in Albuquerque on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse that police allege happened on the set of Fox's crime drama The Cleaning Lady.

Busfield, 68, strenuously denied the allegations through his lawyer. The claims being made against Tim are completely false, and we will fight this to the end until the truth prevails, the lawyer, Stanton Larry Stein, said.

Stein stated that the accusations arise from revenge after the children were terminated from the series, which infuriated their mother.

During a media conference, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman confirmed that Busfield had made an initial court appearance on Wednesday, with a judge ordering that he remain in custody. The case is now transferring to district court, with a hearing set for January 20 to determine if Busfield can be released on bail pending trial.

In an arrest warrant, prosecutors claim the boys' parents allege that Busfield groomed and abused their sons while working on set. The two boys referred to Busfield as Uncle Tim and reported inappropriate touching, which allegedly began when one of them was only 7 years old.

Furthermore, new allegations surfaced regarding a separate incident involving a 16-year-old girl who claims Busfield kissed and groped her years ago during an audition at a theater he co-founded.

Busfield's legal team maintains that these allegations are baseless and have been motivated by a grudge from the boys' mother. They claim that an earlier investigation by Warner Bros found no evidence to support any wrongdoing by Busfield.

The allegations have drawn significant media attention, with Warner Bros and Fox stating that they are cooperating with law enforcement as the legal process unfolds.

As the situation evolves, the entertainment industry will be watching closely, balancing the complexities of artistic integrity with safeguarding the rights of the minors involved.