Actor Timothy Busfield held with out bond in New Mexico baby intercourse abuse case

Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield made his first courtroom look on Wednesday, a day after turning himself in to authorities to face prices of kid intercourse abuse stemming from allegations that he inappropriately touched a minor on the set of a TV sequence he was directing in New Mexico.

Busfield was ordered held with out bond. He appeared remotely by way of a video hyperlink from jail. Whether or not he stays in jail would be the topic of a detention listening to scheduled for Tuesday.

Albuquerque police issued a warrant for Busfield’s arrest final week on two counts of felony sexual contact of a minor and one rely of kid abuse. A felony grievance alleges the acts occurred on the set of the sequence “The Cleansing Girl,” which was filmed in Albuquerque.

“Tim Busfield denies the allegations within the felony grievance and maintains they’re utterly false,” lawyer Larry Stein stated in a press release to CBS Information. “As a voluntary step, he submitted to an impartial polygraph examination relating to these allegations and handed.”

The 68-year-old actor, who’s married to actor Melissa Gilbert and is thought for appearances in “The West Wing,” “Area of Goals” and “Thirtysomething,” has vowed to combat the fees. In a video shared earlier than turning himself in, Busfield referred to as the allegations lies.

Throughout Wednesday’s temporary courtroom look, Busfield stood silent and expressionless, wearing orange jail garments, whereas a protection lawyer spoke on his behalf.

Prosecutors are searching for to maintain Busfield in custody pending trial, citing a “historical past of alleged sexual misconduct.” They filed a movement early Wednesday detailing their causes for the request, pointing to what they described as a documented sample of sexual misconduct, abuse of authority and grooming conduct by Busfield over twenty years. Additionally they stated witnesses have expressed concern relating to retaliation {and professional} hurt.

One other allegation was reported to legislation enforcement the identical day Busfield turned himself in, Albuquerque Deputy District Lawyer Savannah Brandenburg-Koch instructed the decide Wednesday in a courtroom submitting. A father of a then-16-year-old lady alleged Busfield kissed and inappropriately touched his daughter, who he stated was auditioning for a task at B Avenue Theatre, a corporation Busfield and his brother based in Sacramento, California. The incident occurred a number of years in the past, in line with the courtroom doc.

Busfield allegedly “begged the household to not report back to legislation enforcement if he acquired remedy,” Brandenburg-Koch stated within the movement. The lady’s father, who’s a therapist himself, stated he thought it was the very best factor to do on the time, in line with the prosecutor.

In a press release to CBS Sacramento, B Avenue Theatre stated that although Busfield is its founder, he has not had an lively position in its operations in any capability since 2001. The theater declined to remark additional on Busfield because of the ongoing investigation.

The movement filed in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Courtroom searching for to maintain Busfield in custody additionally states that analysis and expertise present that offenders are uniquely positioned to evade accountability and circumvent safeguards designed to guard youngsters after they wield authority, standing or affect.

“In gentle of the defendant’s demonstrated disregard for boundaries, authority and compliance, no situation or mixture of situations of launch can moderately shield the victims or the neighborhood,” the movement states. 

Will probably be as much as a decide to find out whether or not to grant the request. A detention listening to has but to be scheduled.

Prosecutors additionally took challenge with Busfield disseminating a video to the media outlet TMZ on Tuesday, suggesting he was prioritizing “private narrative management and public relations” over compliance with the courtroom course of.

In accordance with the felony grievance, an investigator with the police division says the kid reported that he was 7 years previous when Busfield allegedly touched him a number of occasions on non-public areas over his clothes. Busfield allegedly touched him on one other event when he was 8, the grievance stated.

The grievance additionally says the kid was reportedly afraid to inform anybody as a result of Busfield was the director and he feared he would get mad at him.

The boy’s twin brother instructed authorities he was additionally touched by Busfield however didn’t specify the place. He stated he did not say something as a result of he did not need to get in hassle.

The mom of the twins reported to Youngster Protecting Companies that the abuse occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024, the grievance stated.

In an interview with police final fall, Busfield denied the allegations and steered that the boys’ mom was searching for revenge for her youngsters being changed on the sequence. The argument was echoed by Busfield’s lawyer on Tuesday.

The investigation started in November 2024 after a name from a physician on the College of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque. The boys’ dad and mom had gone there on the advice of a legislation agency, the grievance stated.

Busfield’s lawyer stated an impartial investigation by Warner Bros. was unable to corroborate allegations of inappropriate conduct by Busfield. However prosecutors of their submitting argued that the investigator failed to speak to key witnesses.

A publicist for Gilbert stated she is “not making public statements presently.” 

“Any purported ‘statements’ circulating on-line — together with AI-generated deepfakes of her ‘breaking her silence’ — shouldn’t be handled as coming from her,” publicist Ame Van Iden stated in a press release, including, “Melissa stands with and helps her husband and can handle the general public at an applicable time. We ask that their privateness be revered.”

 Progressive Artists, a Hollywood company, additionally confirmed to CBS Information Thursday that it had dropped Busfield from its consumer listing.