On Friday, New Mexico authorities issued an arrest warrant for Timothy Busfield, the acclaimed director and Emmy Award-winning actor, citing allegations of child sexual abuse.
The warrant stems from a criminal complaint filed by an Albuquerque Police Department investigator. According to the complaint, a child accused Busfield of inappropriate touching. These incidents reportedly took place on the set of the television series “The Cleaning Lady,” in which Busfield both directed and acted.
The young accuser, who was just 7 years old at the time, claims that Busfield inappropriately touched him three or four times initially. The complaint further alleges Busfield committed similar acts five or six more times when the child was 8 years old.
According to the child’s mother, who reported the incidents to Child Protective Services, the alleged abuse occurred between November 2022 and the spring of 2024, as documented in the complaint.
Efforts to reach Busfield’s legal representative and agent for comments late Friday went unanswered.
A judge has signed the arrest warrant, which charges Busfield with two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor.
According to the complaint, the child, whom it identifies only by his initials, has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. A social worker documented him saying he has had nightmares about Busfield touching him and has woken up scared.
The child was reportedly afraid to tell anyone because Busfield was the director, and he feared he would get mad at him.
The investigation began in November 2024, when the investigator responded to a call from a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital. The child’s parents had gone there at the recommendation of a law firm, the complaint said.
“The Cleaning Lady” aired for four seasons on Fox, ending in 2025. It starred Elodie Yung as a Cambodian doctor who comes to the United States to get medical treatment for her son, witnesses a mob killing and ends up becoming a cleaner for organized crime.
The show was produced by Warner Bros., which, according to the complaint, conducted its own investigation into the abuse allegations but was unable to corroborate them.
Busfield is known for appearances in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams” and “Thirtysomething,” the latter of which won him an Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series in 1991.
He is married to actor Melissa Gilbert. There was no immediate response to an email sent to her publicist.
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