West Wing actor faces child sex abuse charges as police issue warrant for his arrest
An arrest warrant has been issued for actor Timothy Busfield for allegedly touching a minor inappropriately on the set of a TV show.
The 68-year-old Emmy-winning actor, best known for his roles in The West Wing and Field of Dreams, faces two counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor and one count of child abuse.
According to an arrest warrant, a juvenile accused Busfield of touching his “private parts” on the set of the TV series “Cleaning Lady,” which Busfield directed.
Reports stated that the child was seven years old at the time of the alleged abuse, which began in November 2022, and that this occurred five or six times between sets. KRQE.
Busfield, who is married to Little House on the Prairie actress Melissa Gilbert, was also accused of inappropriate touching by her second child, according to the complaint.
Busfield has been under investigation by Albuquerque police since November 2024, when University of New Mexico Hospital staff reported they believed two children were being cared for on the set of the TV show, according to court documents reported by KOAT.
The boys did not accuse Busfield of sexual intercourse, but said he would tickle their bellies and legs, according to the report.
The warrant issued for Busfield’s arrest this week alleged that Busfield ‘would tell the children to call him ‘Uncle Tim’ and would tickle their bellies and legs even though they did not like to be tickled.’
An arrest warrant has been issued for actor Timothy Busfield for allegedly touching a minor inappropriately on the set of a TV show.
Busfield (pictured with his wife, actress Melissa Gilbert) is wanted by cops and faces two counts of criminal sexual intercourse with a minor and one count of child abuse.
Busfield plays the character Danny Concannon on the popular TV show The West Wing.
A warrant was issued for Busfield’s arrest in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, and no court or jail records indicate he was taken into custody.
The alleged abuse occurred between November 2022 and the spring of 2024, according to the complaint filed in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court.
At least one of the children in the case was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following the alleged abuse, according to the complaint.
Busfield has been married to Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert since 2013.
The couple celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary in April 2025, and Gilbert said their marriage was “perfect” in a social media post at the time.
’12 years of true partnership, love, laughter, affection, commitment, passion, laughter, cooking, children, grandchildren, chickens, dogs, creating homes, movies, games, television. “12 years of writing together, traveling, hugging, delicious food, romantic getaways, using a spoon, thinking, meditating, praying,” he wrote.
Gilbert said PEOPLE They said they married shortly after they began their relationship and that it ‘seemed right and inevitable’ for her to marry Busfield after their first meeting.
‘It sounds cliché to say this, but it really was like being struck by lightning,’ he said. “When I woke up the next morning, my first thought was, ‘I’m going to marry her,’ and my next thought was, ‘You’re a crazy person.'”
Busfield has been married to Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert since 2013.
Gilbert said of their relationship last year: ‘We respect each other’s views, we respect each other’s backgrounds, we respect each other’s abilities, and we have this implicit agreement that we’ve never discussed before, that we’re partners in everything, every decision, every idea, every move.
‘We are one in making these decisions, and none of us is better or superior to the other in anything.’
