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Timothy Busfield‘s upcoming episode of Law & Order: SVU is no longer airing on NBC after an arrest warrant was issued on charges of child sex abuse.
Multiple outlets confirmed that NBC has shelved the episode, which featured Busfield, 68, in a guest star role as a judge. It was scheduled to air Thursday, January 15, but is now going to be replaced with the SVU episode planned for January 22. Busfield previously guest starred on the hit show in 2011 and directed two episodes in 2019.
An arrest warrant was issued on Friday, January 9, and charged Busfield on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and child abuse. According to legal documents obtained by Us Weekly, a child actor accused Busfield of inappropriate behavior on the set of Fox’s The Cleaning Lady, which concluded last year.
Busfield directed several episodes of the show when he crossed paths with the child, who was 7 years old at the time. The boy alleged that Busfield touched him again several times one year later.
The child stated he was “very afraid of Tim and was relieved when he was off set.” The boy had a twin brother, who also starred on the show, and he was “afraid to tell anyone because Tim was the director, and he feared Tim would get mad at him,” according to the affidavit.
Amid their investigation, the Albuquerque Police Department spoke with Busfield over the phone in November 2025. When asked whether he had any “physical contact” with the boys, Busfield allegedly replied that it “was highly likely that he would have.”
“Timothy said it was a playful environment,” the document stated about how Busfield told authorities that physical contact would have been “in front of the parents” and “there would never be a weird moment about it.”
He added: “I don’t really remember picking those boys up. … I don’t remember those boys. No, I don‘t, I don’t actually, I don’t remember it, if it happened, I don’t remember overtly tickling the boys ever, but it wouldn’t be uncommon for me.”
Busfield and his wife, actress Melissa Gilbert, confirmed to the police that they “did have a relationship” with the child actors and their family “outside of work.”
Warner Bros. Television, which coproduced The Cleaning Lady, released a statement to Variety after news broke about Busfield’s arrest warrant.
The Cleaning Lady made headlines for minor behind-the-scenes shakeups before the Fox series was the subject of a sexual abuse scandal in 2026 — one year after the show was off the air. Based on the 2017 Argentinian TV show La Chica Que Limpia, The Cleaning Lady premiered in 2022 and followed a former surgeon […]
“The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions,” they stated. “We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and have systems in place to promptly and thoroughly investigate, and when needed, take appropriate action. We are aware of the current charges against Mr. Busfield and have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement.”
The search for Busfield is ongoing, with the Albuquerque Police Department reportedly telling People and TMZ on Monday, January 12, that the U.S. Marshals Service is assisting the APD in its efforts to locate Busfield. An APD spokesperson confirmed the actor hasn’t yet been taken into custody and they are receiving federal help to locate him.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
