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Timothy Busfield made a primary look in New Mexico courtroom Wednesday as prosecutors detailed a brand new sexual abuse accusation in opposition to the Emmy-winning actor.
Busfield, 68, has been charged with two felony counts of felony sexual contact of a minor and a single depend of kid abuse for allegedly inappropriately touching two little one actors whereas he labored as a director and govt producer on the Fox drama “The Cleansing Girl,” filmed in Albuquerque. He was held with out bond pending a listening to on a movement for pretrial detention.
In that movement, prosecutors argued Busfield must be jailed pending trial as a consequence of what they known as “a sustained sample of predatory conduct” that they mentioned dated to a minimum of 1994. That yr, a 17-year-old further on the movie “Little Large League” accused Busfield of sexually assaulting her in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court docket that was later settled privately, the movement states.
Most just lately, a person named Colin Swift reported to legislation enforcement on Tuesday that, years in the past, Busfield sexually abused Swift’s then-16-year-old daughter throughout an audition at B Avenue Theatre in Sacramento, the movement states. Swift alleged that Busfield begged the household to not report the abuse to legislation enforcement if he acquired remedy, and so they initially agreed, the submitting states.
No costs have been filed in opposition to Busfield in reference to that incident.
Busfield based B Avenue Theatre as a touring firm known as Theatre for Kids Inc. in 1986, in accordance with its web site. Though he’s listed as an emeritus board member, he has not participated within the group since 2001, and the incident just lately reported to police is alleged to have taken place there about 25 years in the past, in accordance with an announcement from B Avenue Theatre. The theater has retained authorized counsel to conduct an inner investigation, the assertion mentioned.
Prosecutors allege Busfield’s conduct “displays a calculated sample of grooming, lack of boundaries, and exploitation {of professional} authority to achieve entry to minors,” in accordance with the movement for pretrial detention. Witnesses have mentioned they concern retaliation and profession hurt for talking out in opposition to him, demonstrating “how people in positions of energy are in a position to silence victims and witnesses, permitting abuse to persist unchecked,” they wrote.
A consultant for Busfield couldn’t be reached Wednesday. His lawyer Stanton “Larry” Stein beforehand mentioned in an announcement that the actor is harmless and “decided to clear his identify.” He additionally referenced an affidavit wherein Busfield urged to investigators that the kid actors’ mom might need sought “revenge” on the director for “not bringing her youngsters again for the ultimate season.”
The actor, identified for his work on tv collection “The West Wing” and “Thirtysomething,” turned himself in Tuesday, which prosecutors allege was 5 days after he knew a choose had issued a warrant for his arrest. Throughout that point, Busfield traveled from New York to New Mexico to keep away from the extradition course of and give up at a handy time, the movement alleges.
He was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Heart in Albuquerque, the place he remained Wednesday.
Busfield is accused of inappropriately touching the 2 little one actors, who’re brothers, on the set of “The Cleansing Girl,” in accordance with an affidavit. Their mom reported the abuse passed off from November 2022 to spring 2024, in accordance with the grievance. Police launched an investigation in November 2024 after being notified of the alleged abuse by a physician on the College of New Mexico Hospital.
In keeping with prosecutors, “Cleansing Girl” producer Warner Bros. carried out an investigation into Busfield’s conduct in February 2025 after the Display screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Tv and Radio Artists hotline fielded an nameless grievance that the director entered a trailer on the set and kissed a 6-year-old boy on the face whereas he was getting a haircut. One other caller to the hotline claimed that, in September 2024, Busfield requested a guardian to attend outdoors and took a minor — one of many alleged victims within the New Mexico case — behind closed doorways for an audition on the Cinelease Studios workplace in Albuquerque, in accordance with the movement.
A 3rd-party investigator retained by Warner Bros., nevertheless, discovered no proof that Busfield had been alone with the brothers on set or engaged in different inappropriate conduct, in accordance with an announcement from the investigator launched by Stein, Busfield’s lawyer. However the investigator failed to talk with one of many victims and his dad and mom, in addition to key witnesses, prosecutors allege within the movement.
Warner Bros. Tv mentioned in an announcement that it takes all misconduct allegations significantly and has cooperated with legislation enforcement by expediting the sharing of the report by its third-party investigator, which it may have withheld as privileged. The studio has a transparent non-retaliation coverage to make sure workers really feel comfy reporting considerations, the assertion mentioned. “Our prime precedence is the well being and security of our solid and crew throughout all productions,” it mentioned.
Busfield, who’s married to actor Melissa Gilbert, was additionally accused of battery in March 2012 by a 28-year-old lady who mentioned he sexually assaulted her in a Los Angeles movie show, however prosecutors declined to file costs as a consequence of “slim proof,” in accordance with the movement for pretrial detention.
The listening to on the movement, throughout which a choose will determine whether or not Busfield stays in jail, shall be scheduled in 2nd Judicial District Court docket in Albuquerque inside the subsequent 5 enterprise days, mentioned Camille Cordova, a public info officer for the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court docket.
Earlier than he surrendered, Busfield recorded a video at his lawyer’s workplace wherein he denied the allegations. “I’m gonna confront these lies,” he mentioned within the video revealed by TMZ, “they’re horrible.”
Prosecutors known as the transfer “troubling” and mentioned it demonstrated “a willingness to prioritize private narrative management and public relations” over complying with courtroom processes.
Instances employees author Alexandra Del Rosario contributed to this report.
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