Director and Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield has turned himself in to authorities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to face charges of criminal sexual contact of a minor and child abuse.
Albuquerque police said Busfield presented himself on Tuesday, 13 January 2026, after a warrant was issued on Friday, 9 January. He is facing two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse, police said.
The charges relate to allegations involving a child on the set of The Cleaning Lady, which was filmed in Albuquerque. A criminal complaint alleges the incidents happened while Busfield was directing the series.
Busfield has denied the allegations.
According to the complaint, he denied the claims when interviewed by investigators last autumn and suggested there was a motive behind the complaint. The complaint also says he told authorities he may have picked up and tickled the children, describing the set as a playful environment.
The complaint alleges one child reported being touched inappropriately over clothing when they were seven and again when they were eight. It also alleges a second child told authorities they were touched but did not specify where. The children are identified only by their initials in court records.
An episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit featuring Busfield will not air in the US on Thursday, an NBC spokesperson said.
Busfield is known for roles including The West Wing, Field of Dreams and Thirtysomething, the latter earning him an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1991.
The complaint says the children’s mother reported the alleged abuse to Child Protective Services, alleging it occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024. It also says the investigation began in November 2024 after police received a call from a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital.
Busfield’s wife, actor Melissa Gilbert, will not speak publicly while the legal process continues, her publicist said, adding that “Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time”.
The Cleaning Lady aired for four ending in 2025. The show was produced by Warner Bros, which, according to the complaint, conducted its own investigation into the allegations but said it was unable to corroborate them.
Busfield is due to make his first court appearance on Wednesday, 14 January 2026.
Source: Press Association