- - Authorities searching for Timothy Busfield amid child sex abuse claims

Anna Kaufman, USA TODAYJanuary 13, 2026 at 7:34 AM

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Authorities are still working to locate and arrest actor Timothy Busfield, following allegations of child sex abuse.

Busfield, 68, was charged with child sex abuse Friday, after New Mexico authorities issued an arrest warrant, according to a criminal complaint viewed by USA TODAY.

New Mexico police and U.S. Marshals continued searching Tuesday for Busfield, according to People.

The actor and director is married to "Little House on the Prairie" alum Melissa Gilbert and is known for his roles in "The West Wing," "Field of Dreams" and "Thirtysomething."

An investigator with the Albuquerque Police Department filed a criminal complaint for a case involving two minors who were part of the series "The Cleaning Lady," which Busfield directed. Busfield is charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse.

USA TODAY reached out to the Albuquerque Police Department and representatives for Busfield for comment.

Timothy Busfield attends ABC's Winter TCA 2020 Press Tour in Pasadena, California, on Jan. 8, 2020.Timothy Busfield sex abuse allegations

Busfield's abuse of the minors 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 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. He suggested the allegations were revenge because the boys were fired from the show. Production assistants told the Albuquerque Police that Busfield was sometimes touchy or unprofessional.

'Law & Order: SVU' episode with Timothy Busfield pulled

An episode of "Law & Order: SVU" featuring Busfield has also been pulled amid the child sex abuse allegations.

The episode, set to air Jan. 15, will be replaced instead by one slated originally for Jan. 22.

"Law & Order: SVU" is a spinoff of the popular "Law & Order" series, dealing exclusively with sex crimes. Busfield, who was set to guest star, has directed several episodes in the past.

Contributing: Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Police searching for Timothy Busfield amid child sex abuse claims

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