Actor and director Timothy Busfield is facing charges of sexual abuse involving a minor after he was accused of misconduct with a child actor on the set of The Cleaning Lady.
Busfield — who executive-produced 14 episodes of the Fox series and directed six, as well as a one-episode appearance as an immigration officer — was accused of touching the child actor inappropriately in incidents that allegedly occurred between late 2022 and early 2024, according to the Albuquerque Police Department affidavit obtained by Us Weekly in January 2026.
In an interview with police during the investigation, Busfield denied that there was anything “weird” about his interactions with the children on set, according to the criminal complaint. He is facing two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse.
“He didn’t do anything wrong,” Busfield’s attorney Larry Stein claimed in a statement to NBC News on January 13, 2026, after Busfield surrendered to the police. “These accusations are false as the investigator from the independent law firm found.”
Keep scrolling for everything to know about the controversy:
Timothy Busfield Was Accused of Sexual Abuse Involving a Minor
A warrant for Busfield’s arrest, obtained by Us, was issued by authorities in New Mexico on January 9, 2026, after he was accused of sexual misconduct involving a minor.
The alleged incidents occurred while Busfield was directing The Cleaning Lady, which aired on Fox from 2022 to 2025. Busfield’s accuser and his twin brother worked as child actors on the show.
According to the criminal complaint, the child involved claimed that Busfield first touched his “private areas” inappropriately when he was 7 years old. He accused the West Wing alum of touching him three or four times.
In a separate incident when the child was 8 years old, Busfield allegedly touched him five or six times.
The boy was “very afraid of Tim and was relieved when he was off set,” according to the affidavit. He also stated that he “was afraid to tell anyone because Tim was the director, and he feared Tim would get mad at him.”
The child’s mother reported to Child Protective Services that the alleged abuse occurred between late 2022 and the second half of 2024, according to the complaint. The child was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety following the alleged incidents.
Timothy Busfield Was Interviewed About the Sexual Abuse Allegations
According to the affidavit, Timothy Busfield was interviewed by Officer Marvin Brown via phone regarding the alleged incidents in November 2025. He was asked if he had any “physical contact” with the children, such as picking them up or tickling them.
“Timothy said it was highly likely that he would have,” the affidavit stated, adding that Busfield described the set as a “playful environment.” Busfield added that there was “never a weird moment about it” and that any contact was “in front of the parents,” according to the complaint.
Busfield also stated that there was “no protocol” for touching children on set.
“I mean, I’m always around people, right? It would be, you know, in front of the parents. There would never be a weird moment about it,” he said. “I don’t really remember picking those boys up. I remember picking up the boy who followed them. I’d pick him up and he’d be giggling and that would sort of get him ready to act.”
Busfield claimed the children were “never alone on set without the teacher, a welfare worker, or a parent.”
Timothy Busfield Was Accused of Grooming The Cleaning Lady’s Child Actors
According to the complaint, Timothy Busfield also admitted that he and wife Melissa Gilbert “did buy the two boys Christmas gifts and were together [at] several social functions.”
Brown concluded that Busfield allegedly chose to “invite the family to off-set gatherings, with his wife buying Christmas gifts to foster closeness.” He further theorized that this was an example of “classic grooming to erode boundaries, isolate the victim, and silence suspicions by blending abuse into normalcy.”
Melissa Gilbert Slammed People Who ‘Play the Victim’ in Social Media Post
Days before the arrest warrant was issued, Melissa Gilbert took to Instagram to share a quote that read, “You seem to have a mistaken discomfort for injustice.”
In a comment, she stated that she was referring to those “playing the victim and blaming others.”
“It’s about not taking accountability for your own situation,” Gilbert added. “It’s about being a big whiny baby. I saw this quote and it struck me. I have a particularly hard time with people who play the victim. Own your s***. Step up. It’s all pretty general. Has nothing to do with politics but everything to do with privilege, attitude and weakness.”
In November 2025, Gilbert also reflected on having to kiss a 23-year-old costar when she was just 15 on Little House on the Prairie.
“Through the lens of today, this is shocking. I have no words other than to say , ‘I WAS A CHILD. I WAS FIFTEEN,’” she wrote via Instagram. “Thank God my mom and Michael [Landon] and so many others were there to make sure I was safe. Can you imagine if I hadn’t had them all? I am so fortunate (Sort of). Many other young women aren’t.”
Gilbert has since deleted her social media accounts.
Timothy Busfield Surrenders to Police and Breaks Silence on Arrest
Timothy Busfield surrendered himself to law enforcement in New Mexico days after his arrest warrant was issued, TMZ reported on January 13, 2026. Before turning himself in, Busfield made a statement at his attorney’s office, as seen in a video obtained by the outlet.
“Hi everybody, it’s Tim. 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. Saturday, I got in the car and drove 2,000 miles to Albuquerque,” he said.
Busfield declared that he is going to “confront these lies,” calling them “horrible.”
“I did not do anything to those little boys,” he continued. “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, ‘cause this is all so wrong and so lies.”
Busfield concluded, “So hang in there, and hopefully I’m out real soon.”
Busfield’s lawyer, Larry Stein, told TMZ that he believes there was a “revenge factor” to the criminal complaint. He claimed that the mother of the boys told one of the actresses on The Cleaning Lady set that she “vowed to get revenge after her sons were cut from the final season of the show.”
Us reached out to Stein for comment.
Timothy Busfield Makes First Court Appearance
Timothy Busfield appeared in court on January 14, 2026, wearing an orange jumpsuit. According to Deadline, he chose not to enter a plea during the hearing.
Melissa Gilbert Stands by Her Husband Timothy Busfield
After Us confirmed that Timothy Busfield had surrendered to authorities in New Mexico, Melissa Gilbert’s publicist released a statement saying the Little House on the Prairie actress stands by her husband.
“During this period, her focus is on supporting and caring for their very large family, as they navigate this moment,” the statement read. “Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time. We ask that their privacy be respected.”
Gilbert’s rep added that the actress will not be making statements at the request of Busfield’s lawyers.
Her lifestyle company, Modern Prairie, did, however, release a statement via its company Instagram hours after Busfield surrendered to authorities.
“Modern Prairie is aware of recent media reports regarding serious allegations involving a family member of our brand muse, Melissa Gilbert. These allegations do not involve Modern Prairie, our operations, nor our community,” the statement read. “Modern Prairie unequivocally condemns abuse in all forms and remains committed to values of safety, integrity and respect. While these matters are personal and do not directly involve Melissa or the brand, we are respecting the privacy of the family as they navigate a difficult and personal situation.”
Timothy Busfield’s Mugshot Is Released
Us obtained Timothy Busfield’s mugshot hours after he surrendered to the police on January 13, 2026.
In the photo, Busfield wore a light-washed green T-shirt and had white facial hair, including a beard. Busfield was booked in New Mexico after three warrants were issued for his arrest, including two for “criminal sexual contract/minor 3rd degree” for a child under 13 and one for “child abuse” listed as “intentional” and “1st offense,” according to documents obtained by Us.
The booking paperwork also listed Busfield as an “active” hold but his bail amount had not been set.
Timothy Busfield Faces New Sexual Abuse Accusations
A pretrial detention motion filed on January 14, 2026, revealed that “another victim’s father,” Colin Swift, reported to law enforcement the day prior that Timothy Busfield allegedly sexually abused Swift’s daughter “several years ago” in Sacramento, California.
“While auditioning for [Busfield] at B Street Theatre, the 16-year-old reported that [Busfield] kissed her and put his hands down her pants and touched her privates,” the motion states, according to People.
Busfield allegedly “begged the family to not report to law enforcement if he received therapy.” Swift, who is a “therapist himself,” thought this was “the best thing to do” at the time.
Busfield’s attorney responded to the new allegations in a statement to People.
“The allegations were never challenged, they were never proved, and they’re 25 years old,” Stein said. “And there doesn’t seem to be any connection between these allegations regarding women 25 years ago and the allegations regarding these young boys.”
Prosecutors have requested that Busfield remain detained until his trial.
“The Defendant’s repeated sexual touching of the victim’s intimate areas, combined with deliberate grooming behaviors, establishes a sustained pattern of predatory conduct,” the motion stated. “This conduct demonstrates that the Defendant poses a serious and ongoing danger not only to the named victims, but to any child placed within his proximity. Sexual exploitation of children reflects a profound disregard for the physical safety, emotional well-being and developmental health of minors, and it evidences a risk that cannot be adequately mitigated through supervision or conditional release.”
Timothy Busfield Dropped From Talent Agency
Timothy Busfield was dropped from his talent agency, Innovative Artists, amid his child sex abuse case, a rep for the company confirmed to Deadline. Busfield had been with the agency for several years, working with a “fair-sized” team, according to the outlet.
Lawyer Shares Insight Into Timothy Busfield’s Case
Dave Ring, partner at Taylor & Ring in Los Angeles, exclusively told Us Weekly that one factor could make or break Timothy Busfield’s case.
“The most decisive factor will be whether these boys were pressured or influenced by an adult to make allegedly false accusations against Busfield,” Ring, who specializes in child sexual assault cases but is not involved in Busfield’s case, said.
He continued, “The boys originally said the touching only consisted of tickling. Later, they said it included touching of the genitals. That is what turned the case and resulted in Busfield’s arrest. It will be crucial to determine if any outside influence caused the boys to change their story. It is not at all unusual for children to disclose abuse over time, rather than the very first time they are confronted about it.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
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