Melissa Gilbert Was on Speakerphone During Husband Timothy Busfield’s Interview with Detective Before Arrest Warrant

YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Melissa Gilbert was on speaker phone during her husband Timothy Busfield’s interview with police as part of their investigation into sex crimes.

• An arrest warrant issued on January 9 in Albuquerque, NM, alleged that actor and director Busfield, 68, had unlawful sexual intercourse with two child actors.

• In the Nov. 3, 2025, phone call, Busfield allegedly told police that the children’s parents were upset that they were replaced by a younger actor, according to the arrest warrant.

Melissa Gilbert her husband was there during Timothy Bus Zonephone conversation with the police during the investigation into his allegation sex crimesAccording to the arrest warrant.

On Friday, January 9, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) issued an arrest warrant alleging that 68-year-old actor and director Busfield had unlawful sexual intercourse with two child actors, twin 11-year-old boys; One of them claimed that the events started when he was 7 years old.

In the search warrant obtained by PEOPLE, Officer Marvin Brown stated that he contacted Busfield for a telephone conversation on November 3, 2025. Busfield told the investigator that he was in New York at the time of the phone call and that his wife Little House on the Prairie Gilbert, the 61-year-old star, was listening to the conversation on the loudspeaker.

During the phone call, Busfield allegedly told police that the children’s parents were upset that they had been replaced by a younger actor, according to the arrest warrant. A short time later, Busfield told police he received a call from Warner Bros. informing him they were investigating a complaint.

The police investigation into the allegations against Busfield began on November 1, 2024, after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) alerted officers to a case of alleged sexual abuse.

When speaking to Officer Brown, the victims’ parents said the minors were child actors who met Busfield on the set of the FOX series. CharwomanWhere Busfield served as manager, according to the arrest warrant.

The children’s parents said experts suggested they were “well-groomed,” according to the warrant. However, it was later determined that the case did not meet the authorities’ admission criteria at the time.

In October 2025, the victims’ mother filed a police report and told Child Protective Services (CPS) that “both of her children disclosed that Timothy was sexually abused from November 2022 to Spring 2024.” But he was initially told nothing could be done because no physical abuse had occurred, according to the arrest warrant.

During Busfield’s phone conversation, investigators determined that Busfield and Gilbert “had a relationship” outside of work with the two victims and their families.

“They said they bought Christmas gifts for two kids and they were together [at] In the arrest warrant, Brown wrote of various social functions, citing statements Busfield and Gilbert made during an interview during an investigation.

At the end of his findings, Brown mentioned Christmas gift-giving again, writing that Busfield “would invite the family to different gatherings with his wife purchasing Christmas gifts to foster closeness.”

Before the latest arrest warrant, Busfield was facing sexual assault allegations dating back to 1994, according to the arrest warrant. These allegations did not result in criminal charges.

Want to keep up with the latest crime news? Sign up PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter For breaking crime news, ongoing trial news and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Gilbert and Busfield, known for their roles in your thirties And West WingGetting married in 2013.

Representatives for both Gilbert and Busfield did not respond to PEOPLE’s repeated requests for comment.

A Warner Bros. “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 take appropriate action when necessary,” a rep for the network told PEOPLE in a previous statement.

“[We] We have cooperated with law enforcement and will continue to do so,” the spokesperson added.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or visit www.childhelp.org. All calls are free and confidential. The helpline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

Read the original article People