Actor Timothy Busfield held without bond in New Mexico child sex abuse case

Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield made his first court appearance on Wednesday, a day after turning himself in to authorities 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 was ordered held without bond. He appeared remotely via a video link from jail. Whether he remains in jail will be the subject of a detention hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

Albuquerque police issued a warrant for Busfield’s 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 Albuquerque.

“Tim Busfield denies the allegations in the criminal complaint and maintains they are completely false,” attorney Larry Stein said in a statement to CBS News. “As a voluntary step, he submitted to an independent polygraph examination regarding those allegations and passed.”

The 68-year-old actor, 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, citing a “history of alleged sexual misconduct.” They filed a motion early Wednesday detailing their reasons for the request, 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.

Another allegation was reported to law enforcement the same day Busfield turned himself in, Albuquerque Deputy District Attorney Savannah Brandenburg-Koch told the judge Wednesday in a court filing. A father of a then-16-year-old girl alleged Busfield kissed and inappropriately touched his daughter, who he said was auditioning for a role at B Street Theatre, an organization Busfield and his brother founded in Sacramento, California. The incident occurred several years ago, according to the court document.

Busfield allegedly “begged the family to not report to law enforcement if he received therapy,” Brandenburg-Koch said in the motion. The girl’s father, who is a therapist himself, said he thought it was the best thing to do at the time, according to the prosecutor.

In a statement to CBS Sacramento, B Street Theatre said that though Busfield is its founder, he has not had an active role in its operations in any capacity since 2001. The theater declined to comment further on Busfield due to the ongoing investigation.

The motion filed in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court seeking to keep Busfield in custody also 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.

“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. 

It will be up to a judge to determine whether to grant the request. A detention hearing has yet to be scheduled.

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 allegedly 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 was also 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 on 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.

A publicist for Gilbert said she is “not making public statements at this time.” 

“Any purported ‘statements’ circulating online — including AI-generated deepfakes of her ‘breaking her silence’ — should not be treated as coming from her,” publicist Ame Van Iden said in a statement, adding, “Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time. We ask that their privacy be respected.”

 Innovative Artists, a Hollywood agency, also confirmed to CBS News Thursday that it had dropped Busfield from its client list.