Child Sexual Abuse Arrrest Warrant Issued for Actor Timothy Busfield

A court has issued an arrest warrant for Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield. He is best known for his roles in Field of Dreams and TV’s thirtysomething. The allegations involve sexual abuse of a minor in New Mexico.

Busfield, 68, who is married to actress Melissa Gilbert, faces two counts of sexual contact with a minor and child abuse.

According to court documents, the investigation began in November 2024. An officer was dispatched to the University of New Mexico Hospital. This happened after a doctor called the police.

The officer spoke with parents. They said their children, two boys, were actors on the Fox television series The Cleaning Lady. Busfield joined this series as a director and grew closer to the boys.

According to the warrant filed by Albuquerque police in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court on Jan. 4, Busfield told children to call him “Uncle Tim.”

“(The mother) informed Officer Osborn that she had asked their children, VL and SL, who were eleven years old at the time, if anyone had ever touched them in a manner that made them feel uncomfortable,” the affidavit states. “The children responded by asking, ‘You mean like Uncle Tim?”

While the boys did not disclose any sexual contact at the time, they said Busfield would “tickle them on their stomach and legs.”

Police determined the evidence didn’t meet the threshold for charges at that time.

In early October 2025, one of the parents reported to Child Protective Services. Her children disclosed sexual abuse by Busfield. The abuse occurred from around November 2022 to spring 2024.

One child shared with a therapist that Busfield touched both his “genitalia” and “bottom” while in a bedroom on the set of The Cleaning Lady, the affidavit states.

An officer interviewed Busfield, who only acknowledged having “playful” contact with the children on the set, police said. He suggested the allegations were due to the parents wanting “revenge.” Their children were not brought back for the show’s final season.

Busfield has more than 700 credits as an actor, producer and director. In 1991, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for his role as Elliot Weston on the hit series thirtysomething. He also had major roles in The West Wing, Revenge of the Nerds (1984), Sneakers (1992) and Quiz Show (1994).