West Wing actor Timothy Busfield's mugshot revealed after surrendering to police over child sex abuse claims
The first image of Timothy Busfield since he handed himself into the authorities has been released after he was accused of abusing 11-year-old twins he worked with on a TV show.
A four-day manhunt was sparked this weekend after the Albuquerque Police Department issued an arrest warrant for the former West Wing actor over the alleged sexual abuse of a pair of twins, aged 11.
The 68-year-old turned himself in to police in New Mexico on Tuesday (January 13), with local officers saying in a statement: "Timothy Busfield has turned himself in at the Metro Detention Center. He will be booked on his warrant."
He has been charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse.
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But the Emmy-winning star had denied the allegations against him and revealed more information about the four-day disappearance before appearing before cops in New Mexico, saying in a video that he did not do 'anything wrong.'
In the video obtained by TMZ, Busfield explains: "I got the call Friday night, I had to get a lawyer. Saturday I got in the car, drove 2,000 miles to Albuquerque. I'm gonna confront these lies. They're horrible.
"They're all lies and I did not do anything to those little boys and I'm gonna fight it. I'm gonna fight it with a great team, and I'm gonna be exonerated, I know I am, because this is all so wrong and all lies."
According to Busfield's arrest warrant, he stands accused of engaging in unlawful sexual conduct with two twin boys he met on the set of the Fox show The Cleaning Lady, which he joined as a director during the show's second season.
Their claims of abuse came to light after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital raised the alarm about possible sexual abuse, sparking an investigation that began in November 2024.
The warrant alleges that Busfield became 'closer' with the boys over the course of filming, with the pair calling him 'Uncle Tim' due to his closeness.
But the parents did not realise something might be wrong until 'they both discovered that there were allegations against Timothy of sexual assault against both women and minors', People reports.
In light of this, their twin boys were asked if anyone had ever touched them inappropriately or in a way that made them feel uncomfortable, to which they responded: "You mean like Uncle Tim?"
Busfield was not accused of sexual impropriety on this occasion, with both boys detailed being tickled 'on the stomachs and legs' by the actor, causing police to not investigate further. However, on September and October 2025, new allegations emerged.
At first, the boys' mother told Child Protective Services that 'her children both disclosed that there was sexual abuse by Timothy from around November 2022 to Spring 2024,' but the warrant states that no further investigation took place as there was no physical abuse alleged.
Busfield denies the allegations made against him and responded to the warrant by claiming that the boys' parents were upset that their children had been replaced by another actor, filing the child abuse claims as an act of 'revenge'.
His wife, fellow actor Melissa Gilbert, has stood by her husband but refused to comment amid the ongoing criminal investigation.
Her representative said in a statement: "Melissa Gilbert is not making public statements at this time.
"Any purported 'statements' circulating online — including AI-generated deepfakes of her 'breaking her silence' — should not be treated as coming from her. She is honoring the request of Tim’s lawyers not to speak publicly while the legal process unfolds.
"During this period, her focus is on supporting and caring for their very large family, as they navigate this moment. Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time. We ask that their privacy be respected."
Busfield's lawyer Stanton Stein told People: "Tim voluntarily appeared before New Mexico authorities after traveling across the country to confront these false and deeply troubling allegations."
While Warner Bros Television, who produced The Cleaning Lady, said: "The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions. We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and have systems in place to promptly and thoroughly investigate, and when needed, take appropriate action."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues or want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.
William Morgan