New Mexico officers’ seek for actor Timothy Busfield, who’s accused of kid intercourse abuse, has developed into a bigger effort now involving the U.S. Marshals Service, in keeping with a number of reviews.
The Albuquerque Police Division confirmed to Deadline and Individuals that it’s working alongside the federal legislation enforcement company to find Emmy winner Busfield and place him into custody. A spokesperson for the Albuquerque Police Division didn’t instantly reply to a request for affirmation on Tuesday.
Final week, a New Mexico decide issued an arrest warrant for the 68-year-old actor, identified for roles in TV sequence together with “The West Wing” and “Thirtysomething,” on two counts of prison sexual contact of a minor and a single depend of kid abuse. He’s accused of sexually abusing two little one actors, who’re brothers, on the set of the Fox drama “The Cleansing Girl.”
Representatives for Busfield didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Tuesday.
The warrant, reviewed by The Occasions, alleges Busfield inappropriately touched the 2 youngsters throughout his time as a director on the sequence, which filmed in New Mexico. Because the allegations in opposition to Busfield grew to become public, Fox and “Cleansing Girl” producer Warner Bros. Tv mentioned it prioritizes the well being and security of its solid and crew and are conscious of the fees in opposition to Busfield. The studios additionally mentioned they’ve been and can proceed to work with legislation enforcement in its investigation.
Busfield, who was additionally an actor and producer on “The Cleansing Girl,” allegedly touched one of many little one actors a number of instances throughout his tenure. The kid actor mentioned Busfield first touched his “‘personal areas’” on set when he was 7 years previous, and once more when he was 8 years previous, in keeping with an affidavit. The identical little one additionally has points with bed-wetting and different habits points, was identified with post-traumatic stress dysfunction and anxiousness, and has suffered nightmares “concerning the director touching him,” in keeping with the criticism.
Police started investigating the accusations in opposition to Busfield in November 2024, after they had been notified by a physician on the College of New Mexico Hospital of alleged abuse the youngsters skilled. The affidavit mentioned the investigation included interviews with the 2 little one actors, their medical doctors and therapists, members of the “Cleansing Girl” workers and a dialog with Busfield and his spouse, actor Melissa Gilbert.
Busfield instructed legislation enforcement, per the affidavit, that Warner Bros. Tv notified him within the spring of 2025 of an investigation concerning complaints “about him from the boys.” He additionally prompt to the investigator that the kid actors’ mom might need sought “revenge” on the director for “not bringing her children again for the ultimate season,” in keeping with the criticism.
Fox canceled “The Cleansing Girl” in June after 4 seasons.
Because the allegations in opposition to her husband surfaced, Gilbert went darkish on social media, reportedly eradicating her profile from Instagram. Gilbert in November used her Instagram web page to talk out in opposition to Megyn Kelly’s declare that convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein was not a pedophile as a result of he was “into the hardly authorized kind” of minors, “like 15-year-olds.”
Busfield, who was sued for sexual assault within the Nineties, acted in a brand new episode of “Legislation & Order: Particular Victims Unit” that was set to air Thursday. NBC won’t air the episode that includes Busfield and can as an alternative broadcast one other episode — which was slated for subsequent Thursday — instead. NBC didn’t remark.
