'West Wing' actor Timothy Busfield accused of child sex abuse in New Mexico

[ad_1] New Mexico authorities have accused Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield, recognized for collection “The West Wing” and “Thirtysomething,” of kid intercourse abuse.

A decide on Friday issued an arrest warrant for the 68-year-old actor on two counts of felony sexual contact of a minor and a single rely of kid abuse. The arrest warrant affidavit, reviewed by The Occasions on Sunday, accuses Busfield of inappropriately touching two little one actors, who're brothers, throughout his tenure on the Fox crime drama “The Cleansing Girl.”

“The well being and security of our solid and crew is all the time our prime precedence, particularly the security of minors on our productions,” Fox and Warner Bros. Tv mentioned in an announcement shared Sunday. “We take all allegations of misconduct very critically and have programs in place to promptly and totally examine, and when wanted, take applicable motion. ... We're conscious of the present fees in opposition to Mr. Busfield and have been and can proceed to cooperate with regulation enforcement.”

Busfield, who was an actor, producer and director for “The Cleansing Girl,” allegedly sexually assaulted of one of many younger actors a number of occasions throughout his tenure. In keeping with the affidavit, one little one actor mentioned Busfield first touched his “‘personal areas’” a number of occasions on set when he was 7 years previous. The actor mentioned that when he was 8 years previous, Busfield touched him inappropriately once more a number of occasions. He was “afraid to inform anybody as a result of Tim was the Director, and he feared Tim would get mad at him,” the affidavit mentioned.

The second little one actor mentioned that Busfield “began touching them for the primary two years” of his time on “The Cleansing Girl,” which filmed in Albuquerque, in accordance with the criticism. The investigator mentioned each kids mentioned they didn't communicate out about their alleged encounters with Busfield out of worry or concern for him.

The actors’ mom, per the criticism, reported the alleged abuse to Youngster Protecting Companies in October 2025, claiming that Busfield sexually abused her kids from November 2022 to spring 2024. Police started investigating the alleged abuse in November 2024 after receiving a request from a health care provider on the College of New Mexico Hospital.

In keeping with the affidavit, the investigation additionally included interviews with the kids’s therapists and medical doctors. One of many little one actors, who disclosed the alleged abuse by Busfield to his therapist, has points with bed-wetting “together with different habits points,” was recognized with PTSD and anxiousness and has suffered nightmares “concerning the director touching him,” in accordance with the criticism.

The investigator additionally spoke to quite a few solid and crew members of “The Cleansing Girl,” which was canceled in June after 4 seasons. The affidavit particulars the investigator’s conversations with manufacturing assistants, the studio instructor and Busfield.

Busfield, married to actor Melissa Gilbert, instructed the investigator that “Cleansing Girl” producer Warner Bros. Tv notified him within the spring of 2025 of an investigation relating to complaints “about him from the boys.” When requested whether or not he had any bodily contact with the 2 little one actors, Busfield “mentioned it was extremely probably that he would have,” the criticism mentioned. He prompt to the investigator that the boys’ mom might need sought “revenge” on the director for “not bringing her children again for the ultimate season,” in accordance with the criticism.

Although Busfield confirmed the identities of the younger actors to the investigator in his interview, he allegedly mentioned later, “ ‘I don’t keep in mind these boys’ ” and “ ‘I don’t keep in mind overtly tickling the boys ever, but it surely wouldn’t be unusual for me.’ ”

The criticism additionally particulars Warner Bros.’ investigation into Busfield’s alleged habits. The studio began its investigation after receiving an nameless tip in February 2025 from the SAG-AFTRA hotline relating to a December 2024 incident. Busfield allegedly entered the hair and make-up trailer and “kissed a minor male on the face because the minor was getting a haircut.” The criticism additional alleged “there are photos of Mr. Busfield, ‘tickling and caressing the pinnacle and physique of minor boys.’ ”

Neither Fox or Warner Bros. instantly responded to a request for touch upon Sunday, however a spokesperson for the latter instructed the New York Occasions it's “conscious of the present fees in opposition to Mr. Busfield and have been and can proceed to cooperate with regulation enforcement.”

Busfield acquired crucial popularity of his portrayal of Elliot Weston within the ABC drama “Thirtysomething” within the late Nineteen Eighties and early ‘90s. He additionally appeared in “Area of Goals,” “Little Huge League,” “The Byrds of Paradise” and different titles. He's maybe finest recognized for his recurring function in “The West Wing” as Danny Concannon, a White Home correspondent who strikes up a relationship with Press Secretary C.J. Clegg, performed by Allison Janney.

Along with tv and movie, Busfield is a stage actor and director. In 1991, Busfield and his brother Buck Busfield created the B Avenue Theatre, a nonprofit theater in Sacramento that first started as a touring theater group for kids. He additionally pitched for baseball staff the Sacramento Smokeys and was inducted into the Sacramento Baseball Corridor of Fame in 2024.

Previous to the allegations from his time on “The Cleansing Girl,” Busfield was accused in 1994 of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old actor who appeared on “Little Huge League.” He denied these claims and sued his accuser for defamation. The case led to a settlement, with a decide ordering Busfield to pay the lady $150,000.