Timothy Busfield Accused On Sexual Abuse Charges
Timothy Busfield, the husband of Little House on the Prairie actress Melissa Gilbert, turned himself in to the Albuquerque Police Department on Tuesday (January 13).
The West Wing actor is facing charges of criminal sexual contact of a minor and child abuse stemming from alleged misconduct involving child actors during the filming of The Cleaning Lady, according to KOAT.
Just four days after a warrant was issued for his arrest, Busfield reportedly surrendered to police. An investigation into the allegations, brought by twin actors who appeared on the Fox series directed by Busfield, began in 2024.
According to the arrest warrant, the boys, now 11, were just 7 years old at the time the alleged abuse began. The victims’ mother filed a police report in October 2025 and told Child Protective Services (CPS) that “her children both disclosed that there was sexual abuse by Timothy from around November 2022 to Spring 2024.”
The Actor Addresses The Allegations
TMZ was the first to report the surrender and released video footage of Busfield addressing the allegations. In the video, he maintains his innocence and tells viewers, “I’m sure most of you know … that I was ordered to come to Albuquerque. I’m here now. I got the call Friday night. I had to get a lawyer. On Saturday, I got into a car and drove 2,000 miles to Albuquerque.”
He then called the allegations “lies.”
“They’re horrible. They’re all lies. And I did not do anything to those little boys. And I’m gonna fight it,” he said. “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.”
Busfield Faces New Allegations
A pretrial detention motion filed Wednesday (January 14) and obtained by PEOPLE indicates that Busfield is facing a new sexual abuse allegation.
According to the filing, Colin Swift, identified as the father of another alleged victim, reported to authorities on January 13 that Busfield allegedly abused his daughter several years ago in Sacramento, California.
“While auditioning for [Busfield] at B Street Threatre, the 16-year-old reported that [Busfield] kissed her and put his hands down her pants and touched her privates,” the motion states.
Busfield allegedly “begged the family to not report to law enforcement if he received therapy.” Swift reported that at the time he felt it was the “best thing to do.”
Busfield established the B Street Theatre in 1986 under its original name, Theatre for Children, Inc.
