Judge orders Timothy Busfield's release from jail pending child sex abuse charges

By Danielle Broadway Jan 20 (Reuters) – Actor-director Timothy Busfield, known for roles in "The West Wing" and "Field of Dreams," was ordered to be released from jail on Tuesday as he awaits further proceedings on child sexual abuse charges after a New Mexico judge called the evidence against him "neutral." Prosecutors allege Busfield, who is married to actor Melissa Gilbert, improperly touched two young cast members – twin boys – while directing the Fox TV drama "The Cleaning Lady," which was filmed in New Mexico. Busfield, 68, turned himself in last week after prosecutors in Albuquerque filed a criminal complaint charging him with child abuse and two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor. He has professed his innocence, calling the allegations against him "lies." "As it stands today, with the limited information I have in front of me, I'll characterize the weight of the evidence against the defendant as neutral at this point," Judge David Murphy said at a court hearing on Tuesday.  The judge ordered Busfield released from custody pending further proceedings in the case. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for January 29, during which prosecutors will need to establish probable cause to proceed to a trial. According to an arrest warrant affidavit that accompanied the criminal complaint, the twin boys, now 11, reported the alleged contact occurred over a two-year period, when they were aged 7 and 8. Busfield was an executive producer of the show and began directing episodes around the end of the second season in 2022.   Deputy District Attorney Savannah Brandenburg-Koch told the court on Tuesday that a hospital doctor first contacted law enforcement in November 2024 after the boys told the physician that Busfield had engaged in behavior that could be characterized as "grooming." But she said the boys alleged acts of actual sexual abuse to a therapist in September 2025.     Defense lawyer, Christopher Dodd, countered that the twins had denied they were sexually abused by Busfield under questioning from a law enforcement officer. In the recording of the interview, which was played in court, the officer asks each of the boys if they had been "touched in private areas" by Busfield, and the boys both say, "no." The judge said later during the hearing that it's "not uncommon" for children who are alleged victims to initially deny sexual abuse. Dodd also described the boys' mother and father as "scam artists" in court, saying the parents wanted "revenge" on the director after the twins were removed from the series cast. Called as a witness by the defense, Allan Cabillo, director of photography for "The Cleaning Lady," said he never observed Busfield behaving inappropriately with the boys. He said the boys did not return for the show's final season because they had aged out of their roles. In a video posted online shortly before his surrender, Busfield denied the allegations, saying, "I did not do anything to those little boys." Busfield is known for his prime-time television roles as a White House reporter on the NBC political drama "The West Wing," which ran from 1999 to 2006, and as an ad agency executive on the 1980s ABC ensemble series "Thirtysomething." In the 1989 movie "Field of Dreams," he played the brother-in-law of Kevin Costner's lead character. In his own interview with police for the investigation in November, Busfield acknowledged he probably had physical contact with the boys on occasion, like tickling or picking them up, but in a playful manner with others present, the affidavit said. (Reporting by Danielle Broadway in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Evan Garcia; Editing by Steve Gorman and Howard Goller)

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