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19 Jan 2026 1:21
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  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Timothy Busfield has insisted the child sexual abuse allegations against him are "all lies"

    The former West Wing actor has turned himself into police after a warrant was issued for his arrest over two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse after it was alleged he engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with two 11-year-old siblings.


    Gilbert Gallegos, Director of Communications for Albuquerque Police Department confirmed in a statement: "Timothy Busfield has turned himself in at the Metro Detention Center. He will be booked on his warrant."

    Shortly before his arrest, the 68-year-old star - who is married to Melissa Gilbert - insisted he "did not do anything wrong."

    He said in a video obtained by TMZ: "I got the call Friday night, I had to get a lawyer. Saturday I got in the car, drove 2,000 miles to Albuquerque. I'm gonna confront these lies. They're horrible.

    "They're all lies and I did not do anything to those little boys and I'm gonna fight it. I'm gonna fight it with a great team, and I'm gonna be exonerated, I know I am, because this is all so wrong and all lies."

    And his attorney also branded the claims "false and deeply troubling".

    Stanton 'Larry' Stein said in a statement: "Tim voluntarily appeared before New Mexico authorities after traveling across the country to confront these false and deeply troubling allegations."

    An investigation opened on 1 November, 2024, after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) alerted police, and the victims' parents told officer Marvin Kirk Brown, who issued the arrest warrant, that the children had met the actor on the set of The Cleaning Lady, where Busfield was a director.

    The children's parents claimed Busfield "grew closer to the boys" when he joined the FOX series, which ran from January 2022 until June last year.

    The warrant stated: "It was reported that Timothy would tell his children to call him 'Uncle Tim.' "

    The parents told police that "they both discovered that there were allegations against Timothy of sexual assault against both women and minors."

    After the father was told "there had been multiple rumours that Timothy had been 'handsy' with women," the siblings' mother quizzed her sons as to whether anyone had ever touched them in a manner that made them feel uncomfortable."

    The warrant continued: "The children allegedly responded by asking, 'You mean like Uncle Tim?' "

    An attorney advised the couple to take the children to UNMH, where professionals suggested the boys had been "groomed", and while they hadn't disclosed any sexual contact at that time, both claimed Busfield "would tickle them on the stomach and legs."

    It was determined at that time that the case didn't meet their acceptance criteria, but on 3 October, 2025, the mother filed a police report and told Child Protective Services "her children both disclosed that there was sexual abuse by Timothy from around November 2022 to Spring 2024."

    However, the warrant stated she was told that because physical abuse had not occurred, nothing could be done.

    Busfield allegedly told police the parents were upset their sons had been replaced by a younger actor and shortly afterwards, he received a call informing him Warner Bros. were investigating a complaint.

    He also claimed an actress on the show that the mother "wanted revenge".

    Asked by cops if he had ever picked up or tickled the boys, Busfield allegedly admitted it was "highly likely that he would have" because he wanted "a playful environment."

    He added of touching on set: "It's not allowed at all.

    "There is no, there's no protocol. I mean, I'm always around people, right? It would be, you know, in front of the parents."

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

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