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 stated that the actor, who is also 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 said that Busfield made an initial court appearance on Wednesday and a judge ordered that he remain in custody. The case is now being transferred to district court, with a hearing set for 20 January to determine whether Busfield should be released on bail pending trial.
Our priority is to protect the rights of everyone involved, Bregman said at the news conference, urging anyone with information to contact law enforcement.
In a warrant for Busfield's arrest, prosecutors say the parents of boys allege that Busfield groomed and sexually abused the youngsters while working on The Cleaning Lady, which Busfield both directs and executive produces.
In an affidavit supporting his arrest warrant, authorities claim the boys referred to Busfield as Uncle Tim and alleged that he would tickle them on the stomach and legs. Both boys informed authorities that they were touched inappropriately for years, as stated in the arrest affidavit.
One of the boys alleged that Busfield touched his private areas, saying that the alleged inappropriate touching began when he was 7 years old and that he was afraid to speak out because he feared Busfield would get mad at him.
The documents state that the boy experienced nightmares and had troubles wetting the bed since the alleged encounters, leading to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety, according to authorities.
Before turning himself in, Busfield appeared in a video provided to TMZ stating, 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.
His lawyer says the case stems from a desire for revenge, noting that the boys' mother had threatened it after they were replaced on the series.
Busfield's lawyer indicated that the actor had volunteered for a polygraph test and had passed it, maintaining that all allegations are false.
Additionally, new allegations surfaced involving Busfield and a 16-year-old girl, stating that he kissed and groped her several years ago while the girl was auditioning at a theatre. Prosecutors are now considering this behavior as part of a documented pattern of misconduct.
Warner Bros Television and Fox acknowledged the charges against Busfield and stated that they prioritize the health and safety of their cast and crew. Meanwhile, his wife Melissa Gilbert has chosen not to publicly comment while the situation unfolds.
