At a Glance
- Timothy Busfield, 68, is wanted on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse.
- The alleged abuse happened on the Albuquerque set of FOX’s The Cleaning Lady, where Busfield directed.
- Two 11-year-old twin actors claim the misconduct began when they were 7.
- Why it matters: The case exposes gaps in on-set child-protection protocols and follows a Warner Bros. internal investigation that documented a separate incident of Busfield kissing a minor.
Albuquerque police have issued an arrest warrant for Timothy Busfield, the Emmy-winning actor best known as The West Wing‘s Danny Concannon, after twin boy actors accused him of repeated sexual abuse during production of the FOX drama The Cleaning Lady.
The Allegations
According to the warrant obtained by News Of Losangeles, the boys’ parents told investigators their sons met Busfield in 2022 when he joined the series as a director. The family says Busfield quickly cultivated trust, asking the children to call him “Uncle Tim” and inviting them to off-set gatherings where he and his wife gave Christmas gifts.
The parents state they first heard rumors in 2023 that Busfield had been “handsy” with women. When they asked their then-11-year-olds if anyone had ever touched them inappropriately, the boys allegedly replied, “You mean like Uncle Tim?”
A November 2024 report from University of New Mexico Hospital staff triggered the police probe. Hospital personnel told Officer Marvin Kirk Brown that the siblings showed signs of grooming. At that point the boys described only tickling on the stomach and legs; the case was initially declined for prosecution.
New Disclosures
On October 3, 2025, the mother filed a fresh police statement, telling Child Protective Services both children had disclosed sexual abuse spanning November 2022 to spring 2024. She says she was told no action could be taken because physical injury had not occurred.
Therapists later diagnosed one boy with moderate PTSD and anxiety. The child reported nightmares that “the director” touched his penis three or four times and said he feared Busfield would retaliate if he spoke up.
On-Set Environment
The warrant claims production assistants noticed the twins were sometimes unsupervised. One minor allegedly rode a skateboard through a live set while his on-set teacher failed to track him. Officer Brown wrote that Busfield “had the opportunity to be alone with” the boy during bed scenes.
The parents told investigators that crew-issued iPads-used so parents could monitor children remotely-were discontinued after Busfield objected. The warrant quotes him telling staff, “we don’t really like that parents had iPads while on set.”
Warner Bros. Internal Review
Warner Bros. Television launched an outside investigation after receiving complaints. An executive summary, referenced in the warrant, documents an incident in December 2024 when Busfield allegedly “entered and kissed a minor male on the face” in the hair-and-makeup trailer.
A studio spokesperson told News Of Losangeles: “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. [We] have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement.”
Busfield’s Statements
When investigators interviewed Busfield, he acknowledged Warner Bros. had informed him of the complaint and identified the twins as the accusers. He characterized the parents as “upset” their sons were replaced by a younger actor.
Busfield admitted it was “highly likely” he tickled boys to create “a playful environment,” but insisted any contact happened “in front of the parents.” He denied remembering specific encounters with the twins yet recalled lifting a different child to elicit giggles before scenes.
He also said he socialized with the family away from work, including joint dinners and gift exchanges, which Officer Brown describes in the warrant as “classic grooming to erode boundaries.”
Prior Allegations
The warrant notes Busfield has faced sexual-assault accusations dating back to 1994. Details of those claims are not outlined in the current document.
Reps for Busfield and wife Melissa Gilbert did not respond to News Of Losangeles‘s requests for comment. FOX representatives also declined to comment.
Key Takeaways
- Albuquerque police consider Busfield a fugitive; the warrant lists two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse.
- The alleged abuse unfolded over at least two years while the boys worked as background actors under Busfield’s direction.
- A studio investigation corroborated at least one additional incident of inappropriate contact with a minor on set.
- Production policies allowing parental monitoring were reportedly relaxed after Busfield intervened.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Albuquerque police. If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or visit childhelp.org.
