Timothy Busfield indicted on child sex-abuse charges

A New Mexico grand jury indicted actor Timothy Busfield Friday on child sex-abuse charges, according to Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman.

Busfield faces four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child. The case will be prosecuted by the Special Victims Unit of the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office, and Bregman emphasized that protecting children remains a top priority for his office.

The Feb. 6 indictment comes weeks after the "West Wing" actor, 68, was arrested in connection with allegations of abusing minors. The charges stemmed from his time filming the television series "The Cleaning Lady."

Between late 2022 and early 2024, Busfield allegedly abused two actors, who were 7 and 8 years old at the time, as they worked on the series, according to prosecutors. Busfield also served as director on the show. He has denied any wrongdoing.

"The indictment was not unexpected. As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich. What is deeply concerning is that the District Attorney is choosing to proceed on a case that is fundamentally unsound and cannot be proven at trial," Larry Stein, Busfield's lawyer, said in a statement to USA TODAY Feb. 6. "The detention hearing exposed fatal weaknesses in the State’s evidence — gaps that no amount of charging decisions can cure."

"This prosecution appears driven by something other than the facts or the law," he continued. "Mr. Busfield will fight these charges at every stage and looks forward to testing the State’s case in open court — where evidence matters — not behind closed doors."

Busfield's indictment comes just after he was removed from upcoming episodes of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

After being previously cast in a guest role, Busfield was replaced this week with "Dexter" star David Zayas, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to USA TODAY. Zayas will take on Busfield's role in Season 27 of "SVU," which follows detectives as they investigate sex crimes.

Timothy Busfield allegations

The actor, who is accused of inappropriate physical contact with two child actors, has maintained his innocence and argued that the allegations are an act of retaliation after the boys were recast on the show.

Busfield surrendered to authorities on Tuesday, Jan. 13. TMZ obtained footage of Busfield speaking at his lawyer's office in Albuquerque before heading into custody.

"I'm [going to] confront these lies. They're horrible," he said in the video. "They're all lies, and I did not do anything to those little boys, and I'm [going to] fight it. … So, hang in there, and hopefully I'm out real soon."

In several court appearances, Busfield, appearing in an orange prison uniform, has been supported by his wife, "Little House on the Prairie" star Melissa Gilbert.

What is Timothy Busfield accused of?

Busfield's abuse of the child actors allegedly occurred between late 2022 and early 2024. One child alleged that Busfield had touched his genitals several times; both say Busfield touched them inappropriately and instructed them to call him "Uncle Tim."

According to the criminal complaint, the children's mother reported the incidents to Child Protective Services. One child has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, and feared disclosing the alleged abuse because of retaliation from Busfield, the complaint claims. In 2024, University of New Mexico Hospital staff members requested an investigation because it appeared the boys were being groomed.

According to the affidavit, Busfield acknowledged to police in a phone interview that the set was a "playful environment" and that he had probably tickled the boys. Production assistants told Albuquerque police that Busfield was sometimes touchy or unprofessional.

In a new allegation, a motion for pretrial detention filed on Jan. 14 revealed that an alleged victim's father, Colin Swift, told law enforcement on Jan. 13 that Busfield sexually abused his daughter "several years ago" in California.

The motion adds that Busfield allegedly "begged the family to not report to law enforcement if he received therapy," and Swift, "a therapist himself," thought "at the time that was the best thing to do."

Contributing: Clare Mulroy, Brendan Morrow and Edward Segarra, USA TODAY

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.