According to the warrant, two child actors alleged that Busfield touched them inappropriately, with one of them saying he touched his “private areas.”

The West Wing actor Timothy Busfield accused of child sex abuse, warrant issued for his arrest

According to the warrant, two child actors alleged that Busfield touched them inappropriately, with one of them saying he touched his "private areas."

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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January 10, 2026 1:51 p.m. ET

Timothy Busfield in 2020. Credit:

Steven Ferdman/Getty

- New Mexico authorities have issued a warrant for Timothy Busfield's arrest.

- The *West Wing* star faces two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse.

- Investigators said two child actors accused Busfield of inappropriately touching them while they were working on the show *The Cleaning Lady*.

A warrant has been issued for Timothy Busfield's arrest.

The *West Wing *actor and husband of Melissa Gilbert is facing two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse, according to a New Mexico warrant obtained and reviewed by **.

In the document, Albuquerque police officer Marvin Brown, who issued the warrant, wrote that two child actors, twin brothers who worked with Busfield on the Fox series *The Cleaning Lady*, alleged that he inappropriately touched them, with one of them claiming that Busfield rubbed his genitals and touched his buttocks on set.

Timothy Busfield on 'The Cleaning Lady'.

Warner Bros. Television, the studio that produced *The Cleaning Lady*, responded to the allegations in a statement to EW. "The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions," a representative said. "We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and have systems in place to promptly and thoroughly investigate, and, when needed, take appropriate action. We are aware of the current charges against Mr. Busfield and have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement."

Representatives for Busfield did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment.

A doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital requested an investigation into the matter on Nov. 1, 2024, though the children did not immediately discuss sexual abuse at the time, according to the warrant. On Oct. 3, 2025, the boys' mother claimed that both young actors were "groomed," and that they both claimed that the abuse transpired from fall 2022 to spring 2024. She also said one of her sons told his counselor about the abuse in September 2025.

Busfield directed six episodes of *The Cleaning Lady*, beginning with the season 2 episode "Sanctuary" in 2022. He directed three episodes in season 3 and two episodes in season 4. He also served as an executive producer on the show for 14 episodes and acted in one episode as an immigration officer. Fox canceled the series in June 2025.

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Brown reported that the children's parents told another officer that Busfield and the boys "grew closer" upon his arrival on *The Cleaning Lady*, and that the director asked them to call him "Uncle Tim."

The warrant stated that one of the children told a forensic child interviewer that Busfield touched his "private areas" in between takes on the set of *The Cleaning Lady*, once when he was 7 and again when he was 8.

The other child actor allegedly told a forensic child interviewer that Busfield "started touching them for the first two years, and he did not want to say anything because he did not want to be mean to" the director. The child did not disclose that he was touched in inappropriate areas but did note that "he did not like being touched."

Timothy Busfield in 2020.

Noam Galai/Getty

The children's mother said the crew previously handed out iPads for parents to "watch their children while they were filming" from another location, but she alleged that the iPad policy ended at some point after Busfield came on board as a director, according to the warrant.

Brown said when he interviewed Busfield, the director said that "we don't really like that parents had iPads while on set, and that it was not a standard process," but he added that "the children were never alone on set without the teacher, a welfare worker, or a parent," with Busfield claiming that "he did not know the iPad was taken away and that this would not have gone through him."

The investigator said he also asked Busfield about protocols for touching children on set. "It's not allowed at all. There is no — there's no protocol," the actor responded, according to the warrant. "I mean, I'm always around people, right? Uh, uh, uh… it would be, it would be, you know, in front of the parents. There would never be a weird moment about it. I don't really remember picking those boys up."

Brown said Busfield then stated, "I don't remember those boys … I don't remember it … If it happened, I don't remember overtly tickling the boys ever, but it wouldn't be uncommon for me."

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The investigator also said Busfield claimed that an actress on *Cleaning Lady* told him that the children's parents "wanted revenge" for the show not bringing them back for its last season. He added that Warner Bros. launched an independent investigation after the children raised complaints about Busfield, and that he knew the identities of the boys who had lodged the complaints.

The warrant stated that one of the children has been diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety, and has also reported having nightmares about Busfield touching him.

Brown said Busfield faced two prior accusations of sexual assault, neither of which resulted in a criminal charge: one from a 17-year-old extra in 1994 who ultimately settled a lawsuit against the actor, and the other from a 28-year-old woman who accused him of groping her whose case was never prosecuted due to "slim evidence."

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

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