Actor and director Timothy Busfield surrendered to authorities in Albuquerque on Tuesday, days after police obtained a warrant charging him with child sexual abuse offenses tied to allegations from two preteen boys, officials said.
Busfield, 68, turned himself in after Albuquerque police confirmed they were coordinating with the U.S. Marshals Service to locate him, The Guardian reported. He is wanted on three felony counts: two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and one count of child abuse, according to police.
The allegations involve twin brothers who met Busfield while working on the Fox television series "The Cleaning Lady," where he served as both a director and actor.
In an affidavit, police identified the boys by the initials SL and VL and stated that "SL told the interviewer that the first time Tim touched him was when he was seven years old."
According to the affidavit, SL told investigators that Busfield touched him inappropriately on multiple occasions, allegedly presenting the behavior "as play." The affidavit states that SL was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and experienced recurring nightmares "about the director touching him."
Police began investigating the claims in November 2024 after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital contacted authorities.
The children's parents had been advised by a law firm to seek medical evaluation, and their mother reported to child protective services that the alleged abuse occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024.
Busfield provided a statement to police denying the allegations. Investigators wrote that he suggested the children's mother was motivated by retaliation connected to her sons' involvement with the show and said he did not recall inappropriate physical contact.
He acknowledged that playful behavior could occur in an informal production environment, according to the affidavit.
In a video posted Tuesday by TMZ, Busfield directly denied the accusations.
"I'm going to confront these lies — they're horrible," Busfield said in the video. "They're all lies, and I did not do anything to those little boys, and I'm going to fight it."
Busfield said he hired an attorney after learning of the charges on Friday night and drove from out of state to surrender.
"This is all so wrong," Busfield said in the clip. "So hang in there, and hopefully, I'm out really soon and back to work."
The arrest warrant notes that Busfield has faced sexual assault allegations in the past.
In 1994, a 17-year-old extra on the film "Little Big League" accused him of providing alcohol and assaulting her. Busfield denied the claim, countersued for extortion, and the matter was settled privately, with court records indicating he was later ordered to pay legal costs after unsuccessfully arguing the case was fabricated.
In a separate 2012 incident, a 28-year-old woman alleged Busfield groped her at a Los Angeles movie theater. Busfield said the contact was consensual, and prosecutors declined to file charges.
No civil case followed, according to police.
"The Cleaning Lady," produced by Warner Bros. and filmed largely in Albuquerque, ended its run in 2025 after four seasons. Police said the studio conducted an internal investigation into the allegations but could not corroborate them.
Busfield's career includes roles in "The West Wing," "Field of Dreams," "Revenge of the Nerds," and "Thirtysomething," for which he won an Emmy in 1991.
He is married to actor Melissa Gilbert, who was present by speakerphone during his police interview, investigators said. NBC has since shelved a scheduled "Law & Order: SVU" episode that was to feature Busfield in a guest role.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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