Timothy Busfield to be released from jail pending child sex abuse trial

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Timothy Busfield, an Emmy Award-winning actor famous for his roles in “The West Wing” and “Thirtysomething,” has won his legal battle in a child sex abuse case.

A New Mexico judge ruled on Tuesday that 68-year-old actor and director Busfield will be released from custody while he awaits trial. He faces accusations of sexually abusing two child actors during the filming of the Fox series “The Cleaning Lady.” His wife, Melissa Gilbert, known for her role in “Little House on the Prairie,” was present at the hearing and cried after the judge’s decision.

“Thank you, God,” she appeared to say.

Judge David A. Murphy of the New Mexico District Court acknowledged the serious nature of the accusations against Busfield, stating they suggest a potential danger to others. However, the judge also noted that because the allegations haven’t been officially proven in court, it’s hard to give them full weight at this time, even though prosecutors demonstrated he could pose a safety risk.

California

Timothy Busfield is facing charges related to the sexual abuse of two child actors. The alleged incidents occurred while he was working on the TV show ‘The Cleaning Lady.’

Before making his ruling, Judge Murphy referenced letters from actor Busfield’s friends and family, as well as supporting statements. He also noted that there was no evidence of similar past offenses involving children.

The judge stated there wasn’t enough proof to suggest the defendant would commit further crimes while awaiting trial. He noted a lack of evidence showing a history of criminal behavior, and confirmed there were no previous accusations involving children or instances of the defendant violating court orders.

Busfield will check in with a pretrial services officer in Albuquerque, but he’s free to travel. He is not allowed to have any guns or weapons, and must stay away from alcohol and drugs. Additionally, he’s prohibited from contacting the people he’s accused of harming, their families, or discussing the case with anyone who might be a witness.

Busfield was arrested and held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque on charges of criminal sexual contact with a minor (two counts) and child abuse (one count). He surrendered to authorities last week after a warrant for his arrest was issued by New Mexico officials.

Television

Timothy Busfield, an Emmy-winning actor known for his role on ‘The West Wing,’ has turned himself in to police and is now in custody following accusations of child sexual abuse.

I was really disturbed to read about the allegations against director Busfield. Apparently, an affidavit was filed claiming he sexually abused two young brothers while they were working on “The Cleaning Lady.” The documents detail how, when one of the boys was just seven years old, Busfield allegedly touched him inappropriately on set multiple times. This continued when the boy turned eight. What’s even more upsetting is that, according to the affidavit, when questioned by police, Busfield seemed to suggest the boys’ mother was motivated by revenge because he didn’t recast her children for the final season. It’s a truly awful situation.

Before surrendering, Busfield insisted he was innocent, claiming, “They’re all lies, and I did not harm those boys,” in a video released by TMZ last week. He also told his supporters he planned to fight the charges and believed he would be cleared of any wrongdoing.

The hearing on Tuesday included statements from Savannah Brandenburg-Koch, a Deputy District Attorney for Bernalillo County, Amber Fayerberg, the lawyer representing Busfield, and Alan Caudillo, a cinematographer who worked on “Cleaning Lady.”

Despite objections from Brandenburg-Koch, who pointed to past accusations of assault, Busfield’s lawyer played audio recordings from the original police interviews with the child actors. In those recordings, the actors stated that Busfield had not touched them inappropriately.

Fayerberg clarified that she hadn’t failed to share the audio clips, explaining that she had actively stated they didn’t exist. “This wasn’t about hiding something,” she said, “it was a direct denial.”

California

Following accusations of sexual abuse against Timothy Busfield, his wife, actress Melissa Gilbert, has made her Instagram account unavailable. Attempts to access her official page now result in an error message.

Fayerberg also pointed out the legal issues surrounding the parents of the child actors. The father, Ronald Rodis, pleaded guilty to federal fraud in 2017, and the mother, Angele LaSalle, faced a fraud lawsuit in 2011. The lawyer stated that the young actors were victims, but not because of Busfield.

I was really struck by the story of how these individuals were hurt by their own parents. It turns out their parents, a disbarred lawyer who could no longer practice and someone who was writing bad checks, were financially exploiting them – reportedly taking the vast majority, like 85%, of the earnings from their TV show. Then, incredibly, they portrayed themselves as the victims, seemingly as a way to get revenge. It’s a truly twisted dynamic and adds a really unsettling layer to their story.

The allegations of child sexual abuse have significantly impacted actor Busfield’s career. He was let go by his agency and removed from an upcoming film following the reports, as noted by Deadline. Last week, NBC also decided to remove an episode of “Law & Order: SVU” that included Busfield from its schedule.

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2026-01-21 04:31