Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield, best known for his seven-year role in the political drama The West Wing, has been formally charged with child sex abuse offences in the United States.
Mugshot Released Following Arrest
Police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, have released a custodial image of the 68-year-old actor after he turned himself in to authorities on Tuesday, 13 January 2026. Busfield faces serious charges following disturbing allegations of abuse involving minors on a television set.
The veteran actor, a father of three, was arrested on a warrant issued last Friday. He is charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse.
Allegations from The Cleaning Lady Set
The criminal complaint states the alleged incidents occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024 on the set of the series The Cleaning Lady, which was filmed in Albuquerque. Busfield both starred in and directed episodes of the show.
According to the warrant, one boy alleges Busfield touched him inappropriately over his clothes on three occasions when he was seven years old, and a further five or six times when he was eight. The child reportedly referred to the actor as "Uncle Tim" and did not initially report the incidents for fear of making him angry.
A second boy claimed he was inappropriately touched by Busfield over a two-year period while working on the show. The complaint details one alleged instance where Busfield kissed a child on the face in a hair and makeup trailer.
Actor's Response and Ongoing Investigation
When processed at the police station, Busfield was recorded insisting, "I did not do anything to those little boys." However, reports indicate he told police it was "highly likely" he had some form of "physical contact" with the children, though he claimed not to remember any overt inappropriate behaviour.
The mother of the boys reported the allegations to social services in October 2025. The criminal complaint reveals one child has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, suffering nightmares about the alleged abuse.
Busfield, who won an Emmy in 1991 for Thirtysomething and is also known for films like Field of Dreams, continues to deny all allegations. The police investigation remains active.
