Timothy Busfield Indicted on Child Sexual Contact Charges in New Mexico
Actor and director Timothy Busfield has been formally indicted on four felony counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, following a grand jury decision in New Mexico. The charges stem from allegations involving twin child actors Busfield worked with on the Fox drama series The Cleaning Lady. Busfield, 68, has categorically denied the accusations, calling them “horrible lies,” and says he intends to fight the case aggressively.
The indictment, handed down on Friday, relates to allegations involving one of the two boys. Prosecutors allege Busfield engaged in inappropriate physical contact on two separate occasions during his time on the series, where he served as an executive producer and frequently directed episodes. According to the indictment, the alleged conduct occurred over two distinct periods: between October 19, 2022, and September 10, 2023, and again between September 11, 202,3 and May 30, 2024.
Busfield was arrested last month after surrendering to Albuquerque authorities and was released from custody on January 20 following a detention hearing. The allegations include claims that Busfield engaged in unwanted tickling and later touched one child’s private areas over clothing between takes on set. Authorities have emphasized that the charges currently pertain only to one of the twins.
In a statement to Rolling Stone, Busfield’s civil attorney, Stanton “Larry” Stein, described the indictment as “not unexpected,” arguing that grand jury proceedings are inherently one-sided. “As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich,” Stein said. “This prosecution appears driven by something other than the facts or the law. Mr. Busfield will fight these charges at every stage and looks forward to testing the State’s case in open court, where evidence matters.”
Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman stressed that the indictment marks only the beginning of the judicial process. “As with all criminal proceedings, Mr. Busfield is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law,” Bregman said in a statement. He added that the case is expected to proceed to trial.
The investigation into Busfield began in November 2024, after Albuquerque officials raised concerns that the child actors may have been “groomed.” The inquiry intensified when one of the children later disclosed allegations of sexual contact to his therapist, prompting law enforcement to reopen the case.
Busfield’s legal team has argued that the allegations are fabricated, suggesting the children’s parents manipulated their sons into making claims as retaliation after the twins were replaced on the show by a younger actor. Defense attorney Amber Fayerberg described the parents as “con artists” during last month’s detention hearing and said prosecutors would be unable to meet the burden of proof required for a conviction.
As part of pretrial filings, Busfield’s attorneys submitted evidence they say undermines the prosecution’s case, including the results of an independent Warner Bros. investigation that did not substantiate the allegations. They also presented 87 letters of support from family and friends, as well as a psychosexual evaluation stating that Busfield “does not appear to have a sexual attraction to prepubescent or adolescent males or females.”
Judge David Murphy cited those materials when granting Busfield’s release pending trial, noting the absence of a broader pattern of alleged misconduct and concluding that the state had not demonstrated Busfield posed an imminent danger to the community.
