Actor Timothy Busfield has made his first court appearance after turning himself in on criminal charges that he allegedly sexually abused two boys on the set of a TV series filmed in New Mexico, prosecutors say.
The Emmy-winning actor, who starred in Thirtysomething and The West Wing, was taken into custody in Albuquerque on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse that police allege happened on the set of Fox's crime drama The Cleaning Lady.
Busfield, 68, strenuously denied the allegations through his lawyer.
The claims being made against Tim are completely false, and we will fight this to the end until the truth prevails, the lawyer, Stanton Larry Stein, said.
Stein added that the actor, known for his roles in the baseball film Field of Dreams and the comedy thriller Revenge of the Nerds, was being accused as an act of revenge after the children had been terminated from the series, which angered their mother.
During a media conference on Thursday, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman indicated that Busfield made an initial court appearance on Wednesday, where a judge ordered that he remain in custody. The case has been transferred to district court, with a hearing scheduled for January 20 to determine whether Busfield should be released on bail pending trial.
According to a warrant for Busfield's arrest, parents of the boys allege that he groomed and abused them while working on the set of The Cleaning Lady, which he both directs and executive produces. The series airs on Fox in the US.
In an affidavit supporting his arrest warrant, authorities claim the boys referred to Busfield as Uncle Tim and alleged he would tickle them on the stomach and legs. Both boys told authorities they were touched inappropriately for years, according to the arrest affidavit.
One boy alleged that Busfield touched his private areas, admitting that the inappropriate contact began when he was 7 years old, and that he was frightened to report it due to fear of Busfield's anger.
The court documents indicate that the boy has suffered from nightmares and bedwetting, eventually diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety.
Before his surrender, Busfield appeared in a video stating he intended to fight the claims vehemently. “They’re all lies,” he asserted, promising to challenge the accusations with a capable legal team.
Additionally, another accusation surfaced alleging that Busfield had previously engaged in sexual misconduct with a 16-year-old girl during her audition at a theater he co-founded in California.
The matter has drawn significant attention, with Warner Bros Television and Fox indicating they are cooperating with law enforcement regarding the allegations against Busfield.
Busfield's wife has chosen to remain silent publicly during the ongoing legal proceedings, focusing on supporting their family.
