James Wicka experienced a wave of emotions upon seeing recent headlines—his heart skipped a beat and his stomach churned. The news that actor Timothy Busfield, someone Wicka had crossed paths with three decades ago, was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing two young boys hit close to home.

Back in 1994, Wicka, a Minneapolis attorney, represented a 17-year-old girl who accused Busfield of sexual harassment. Although Busfield denied the accusations and fiercely defended himself, the current developments have left Wicka with mixed feelings about his decision to take on the case years ago.

“I felt a sense of vindication,” Wicka shared with the Daily Mail. “Yet, it’s a bittersweet outcome. Hearing this news made me feel ill, as it seems like history is repeating itself.”

The last few days have been tumultuous for Busfield, the 68-year-old actor known for his roles in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams,” and the 1980s hit series “Thirtysomething.” He was taken into custody by Albuquerque police on January 9.

Busfield voluntarily surrendered to authorities and is facing charges, including two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse. The allegations come from child actors who worked on Fox’s New Mexico-based series “The Cleaning Lady.”

The young boys allege that “Uncle Tim,” as Busfield was known while directing the show, molested them on set when they were just seven years old. Currently, Busfield remains in custody, awaiting a court hearing next week, and he has denied all charges against him.

‘I’m going to confront these lies,’ he said in a video his lawyers released to TMZ. ‘I did not do anything to those little boys. And I’m going to fight it. I’m going to fight it with a great team, and I’m going to be exonerated.’

Yet this week’s events have dredged up stories from Busfield’s past that he would, no doubt, rather see forgotten. 

Timothy Busfield (pictured in court Wednesday) has been charged in New Mexico with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse. 

Busfield pictured with his wife, Little House on the Prairie star, Melissa Gilbert, in the fall of 2025. He has vowed: ‘I’m going to be exonerated’

It has emerged that a 16-year-old girl in Sacramento accused Busfield of groping her in 2001, at a theatre he co-founded in the city. 

She claimed that Busfield ‘kissed her, put his hands down her pants and touched her privates,’ according to court documents obtained by KOAT and filed in New Mexico in support of keeping him in jail pending the hearing.

‘The defendant begged the family to not report to law enforcement if he received therapy,’ the documents state.

In addition, we now know that a woman accused Busfield of groping her in a cinema in 2012. He said the encounter was consensual. Prosecutors deemed the evidence ‘too thin’ to pursue.

‘The allegations were never challenged, they were never proved, and they’re 25 years old,’ said Busfield’s lawyer Larry Stein, in a statement to People. ‘And there doesn’t seem to be any connection between these allegations regarding women 25 years ago and the allegations regarding these young boys.’

Then there are the comments, uncovered by the Daily Mail, which haven’t aged well. In a June 1990 interview given to Playboy magazine by the Michigan-born actor – who had married his second wife Jennifer Merwin two years earlier – he described himself as ‘a pervert.’

Discussing what it was like for his Thirtysomething co-star Ken Olin to watch him play the husband of Olin’s real-life wife, Patricia Wettig, Busfield said: ‘I think the hardest part for Kenny in watching me be married to his wife is that he knows I’m a pervert.

‘When Kenny and I went to Houston together years ago, I was separated at the time, and my major goal was to have sex as much as possible – with as many women under the age of twenty-one as I could.

‘Two and a half years later, I’m in bed with Ken’s wife and he’s thinking, “This is absolutely the last person in the world I would want doing love scenes with my wife – because I know Busfield!”‘

For Wicka, this week’s dramatic events have brought back his own very personal experience with the Emmy-winning actor.

In a June 1990 interview given by the Michigan-born actor, who had married his second wife Jennifer Merwin two years earlier, to Playboy magazine he described himself as ‘a pervert.’ (Busfield pictured in The West Wing, 1999)

A 16-year-old girl in Sacramento accused Busfield of groping her in 2001, at a theatre in the city he co-founded. Busfield (right) is pictured with his brother Buck (left) at the theatre

In March 1994, he filed a sexual harassment suit against Busfield on behalf of a 17-year-old high school student who accused the actor of making unwanted advances on the set of ‘Little Big League.’

She claimed, in court documents obtained by Radar Online, that he invited her to his trailer and plied her with alcohol before propositioning her.

‘Busfield tried to coerce the girl into having intercourse with him by claiming he had an arrangement with his wife,’ the court documents reportedly state. ‘He allegedly asked her if she was a lesbian after she rejected him.’

No charges were filed and the case was settled out of court on July 11, 1995. The local newspaper, Twin Cities Reader, reported at the time that a six-figure sum offered at the start of mediation had been rejected by the accuser, but that she was now, ‘very satisfied’ with the outcome.

Busfield then sued Wicka for defamation, claiming that he was an extortionist who used young girls as ‘sexual lures’ to win settlements.

Attorney James Wicka. Busfield hired and ‘aggressive’ law firm to sue Wicka for defamation

Wicka told the Daily Mail: ‘The law firm that he hired was very aggressive. We went after somebody who worked and resided within the Hollywood ecosystem and that’s big business, big dollars. 

‘So, it went from us bringing a claim to all of a sudden being sued, with scandalous accusations – all of which were untrue.’

Busfield and his lawyers accused Wicka of employing his client as an exotic dancer at a nightclub he owned and then using her ‘as a pawn’ with which to ‘extort’ Busfield and others.

‘It was a very, very difficult time – not only for my client, but also for me and our law firm, given the advocacy on her behalf,’ said Wicka. 

Busfield’s suit against Wicka was thrown out by the judge who concluded it was baseless, and the actor was ordered to pay $150,000 in fees. 

He appealed that ruling and the two sides eventually reached a private settlement. 

‘Ultimately it turned out okay,’ Wicka reflected. ‘But there were a number of sleepless nights and a lot of work to make sure that justice was served – which I think ultimately it was.’ 

Busfield’s lawyer, Larry Stein, declined to comment on either the current allegations levelled against the actor or the historic cases when approached by the Daily Mail. 

But Wicka, who has now retired from practising law, is relieved that light is being shone on the earlier allegations. 

‘Part of the motivation for me of being in that line of work was trying to do the right thing and ultimately hold people accountable,’ he said. ‘So, it was unfortunate to see those allegations again. 

‘He is of course innocent until proven guilty. But I truly believe it all needs to come to the light of day.’