Emmy-award winning actor Timothy Busfield, known for his role in The West Wing, is facing serious criminal charges in New Mexico related to the alleged sexual assault of minors, while a separate historical allegation of molesting a teenage girl has come to light.
New Mexico Charges and Arrest
Busfield, 68, was charged last week in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse. A criminal complaint alleges the acts occurred on the set of the television series The Cleaning Lady between 2022 and 2024, involving twin boys.
An arrest warrant was issued, and Busfield surrendered to police in Albuquerque on Tuesday. His lawyer, Larry Stein, stated that Busfield had been forced to drive from upstate New York to hand himself in because the warrant prohibited him from flying. US Marshals raided his New York home on the same day, but he had already turned himself in.
At his first court appearance on Wednesday, Busfield was ordered held without bond. Prosecutors are seeking to keep him in custody pending trial, citing a documented pattern of alleged misconduct and concerns over witness intimidation.
Historic Allegation and Theatre Ban
In a pretrial detention motion filed this week, prosecutors included an unrelated allegation dating back roughly 25 years. It accuses Busfield of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl during an audition at the B Street Theatre in Sacramento, California.
The alleged victim claimed that Busfield "kissed her and put his hands down her pants and touched her privates." The theatre was notified, conducted an investigation, and subsequently banned Busfield from working with the institution in 2001.
A spokesperson for B Street Theatre confirmed to People magazine that Busfield has "not had any role" at the theatre since 2001 and is not involved in its current operations, despite being listed as an emeritus board member.
Denials and Case Details
Busfield denies all allegations against him and has vowed to fight the charges. His lawyer, Larry Stein, has dismissed the decades-old allegations involving the teenage girl, stating they were "never challenged, they were never proved" and are unrelated to the New Mexico case.
The court filing regarding the California incident also states that after the alleged assault, Busfield's wife, actress Melissa Gilbert, "begged the family to not report to law enforcement if he received therapy." The alleged victim's father, a therapist, reportedly agreed at the time.
Gilbert, 61, declined to comment when approached by the Daily Mail about the recent charges. The B Street Theatre stated it is keeping "everyone affected by abuse or exploitation" in its thoughts but declined further comment due to the active investigation.
