Actor Timothy Busfield has turned himself in to authorities following a nationwide search for his involvement in allegations of child sexual abuse.
Busfield, known for his role in The West Wing, is accused of inappropriately touching twin 11-year-old boys on the set of The Cleaning Lady, where he was both an actor and director.
The actor is facing multiple charges, including one count of child abuse and two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor.
The Albuquerque Police Department issued a warrant for Busfield’s arrest, leading to a manhunt that lasted several days as his location was unknown.
On Tuesday, January 13, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, Busfield surrendered to the New Mexico police.
“Timothy Busfield has turned himself in at the Metro Detention Center. He will be booked on his warrant,” stated Gilbert Gallegos, Director of Communications for Albuquerque Police Department.
Busfield has denied the accusations and released a video to assert his innocence. In the video obtained by TMZ, he stated: “I did not do anything wrong.”
He addressed the situation, saying, “Hi everybody, it’s Tim. I’m sure most of you know, that are watching this, that I was ordered to come to Albuquerque – I’m here now. 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.”
Busfield continued, “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.”
He concluded, “So hang in there and hopefully I’m out real soon and back to work. I love everybody for supporting me, thank you.”
The accusations against Busfield stem from November 1, 2024, when a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital reported alleged sexual abuse to the police.
The parents of the children reportedly said their sons often referred to Busfield as ‘Uncle Tim’.
An affidavit revealed: “The boys advised that Timothy Busfield, whom they referred to as ‘Uncle Tim’, would tickle them on the stomach and legs. Neither boy cared for the tickling.’
One of the boys reportedly told his therapist that Busfield had ‘touched and rubbed his penis 3 or 4 times’.
The child was subsequently diagnosed with moderate post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety due to claims of ‘inappropriate touching.’
According to the warrant, Busfield denied the allegations, suggesting the parents were upset their sons had been replaced by a younger actor.
Busfield also claimed that an actress on the show informed him that the mother of the alleged victims ‘wanted revenge,’ according to the warrant.
Due to the seriousness of the allegations, Warner Bros conducted an internal review as part of their investigation.
Following the investigation, it was reported that a person ‘claimed to have witnessed the incident in the Hair and Make-Up trailer, executive producer/director Tim Busfield entered and kissed a minor male on the face as the minor was getting a haircut’ in December 2024.
In a statement, Warner Bros announced they ‘will continue to cooperate with law enforcement’ after Busfield’s arrest warrant.
They emphasized: “The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions. We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and have systems in place to promptly and thoroughly investigate, and when needed, take appropriate action.”
Efforts to reach Busfield’s representatives for comment have been made.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues or wish to speak with someone confidentially about a child’s welfare, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.