An arrest warrant has been issued for Emmy Award-winning actor and director Timothy Busfield following serious allegations of child sexual abuse connected to his work on the television series The Cleaning Lady.
Allegations Stem from Television Set
The 68-year-old Hollywood veteran, famed for roles in Field of Dreams, The West Wing, and Thirtysomething, is now the subject of a criminal investigation. Police in Albuquerque launched their inquiry in November 2024 after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) filed a report concerning alleged sexual abuse.
According to the arrest warrant, the parents of two child actors told police their sons met Busfield on the set of the FOX show, where he served as a director. The document alleges Busfield instructed the siblings to call him "Uncle Tim" and is accused of tickling their stomachs and legs.
Details of the Investigation Emerge
Court filings reveal that hospital staff believed the children showed signs of having been groomed. One child claimed the alleged abuse started when he was just seven years old, with Busfield accused of making inappropriate contact on five or six separate occasions.
An affidavit obtained by KTLA states that in 2025, one of the minors disclosed to a therapist that Busfield touched his genitalia and bottom in a bedroom on the show's set.
The warrant details how the siblings' mother questioned her sons after hearing rumours Busfield had been "handsy" with women. The children, then eleven, reportedly responded by asking, "You mean like Uncle Tim?"
Busfield's Response and Past Allegations
The arrest warrant states that Busfield admitted to an officer he had "playful" contact with the children on set but denied any wrongdoing. He now faces two counts of sexual contact with a minor and child abuse.
The document also reveals that Busfield has been subject to previous sexual assault allegations dating back to 1994. It remains unclear whether the actor has been formally booked by authorities at this stage.
Busfield, who has over 700 credits in film and television and won an Emmy in 1991 for Thirtysomething, is married to actress Melissa Gilbert. The couple have no children together.
