Executive Summary
- A New Mexico grand jury has indicted Timothy Busfield on child sex abuse charges.
- Allegations involve two minors on the set of "The Cleaning Lady" between 2022 and 2024.
- Defense attorneys claim the charges result from a revenge plot by the children’s parents.
- An independent probe by Warner Bros. reportedly found no evidence of abuse.
- Busfield remains released on his own recognizance pending trial.
A New Mexico grand jury has formally indicted actor Timothy Busfield on charges of child sex abuse, officials confirmed Friday. The indictment follows his arrest last month and centers on allegations involving two minors on the set of a television series.
Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman announced the grand jury’s decision. The charges stem from accusations that Busfield, 68, engaged in inappropriate contact with two young boys between November 2022 and the spring of 2024. The alleged incidents reportedly occurred while Busfield was directing and acting in the Fox series "The Cleaning Lady."
Busfield has categorically denied the charges. His defense attorneys argue that the allegations are fabricated, describing them as a "revenge plot" manufactured by the children’s parents after the young actors lost their roles in the production. To support this defense, lawyers cited an independent investigation commissioned by Warner Bros., a co-producer of the show, which reportedly found no evidence to corroborate the claims of abuse. Additionally, the show’s director of photography testified during a prior hearing that he witnessed no inappropriate contact.
During a detention hearing last month, Bernalillo County Deputy District Attorney Savannah Brandenburg-Koch stated that the children’s disclosures to a therapist and a doctor were specific, detailed, and "not exaggerated." Prosecutors also referenced past allegations of misconduct involving other individuals, though District Court Judge David A. Murphy stated he placed little weight on those claims as they had not been vetted. Judge Murphy previously ruled that Busfield did not pose a danger to the community and ordered him released on his own recognizance pending trial.
Procedural Next Steps
The grand jury indictment moves the case from the initial investigative phase into formal criminal proceedings, where the prosecution must now prepare to present evidence to a trial jury. The conflicting evidence—specifically the disparity between the prosecution’s description of the victims’ disclosures and the defense’s reliance on the studio’s internal investigation—will likely be central to upcoming pre-trial motions. It is important to note that an indictment is merely a formal accusation, and Timothy Busfield is presumed innocent of all charges until proven guilty in a court of law.
