A warrant has been issued for Busfield’s arrest after being charged with three child sexual abuse related offenses.

NBC pulls Law & Order: SVU episode featuring Timothy Busfield amid child sex abuse charges

A warrant has been issued for Busfield's arrest after being charged with three child sexual abuse related offenses.

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

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January 12, 2026 8:14 p.m. ET

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Timothy Busfield in 2020 and Mariska Hargitay on 'Law & Order: SVU'. Credit:

Steven Ferdman/Getty; Virginia Sherwood/NBC via Getty

An episode of *Law & Order: SVU* set to feature Timothy Busfield has been pulled from the air in the wake of his child sexual abuse charges.

A representative for the long-running legal procedural confirmed to * *that "Fidelis ad mortem," episode 10 of the now-airing 27th season, will be bumped from its slated airtime on Thursday. The following episode, "Career Psychopath," which was originally scheduled for Jan. 19, will air instead.

The scheduling switch-up comes just days after Busfield was charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse. According to a New Mexico warrant obtained and reviewed by EW, Busfield has been accused by a pair of twin actors of inappropriately touching them while on the set of the Fox crime drama *The Cleaning Lady*. One of the brothers claims that Busfield rubbed his genitals and touched his buttocks during the production, per the warrant.

Timothy Busfield and wife Melissa Gilbert in Monaco in 2023.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty

EW did not immediately hear back from representatives for Busfield.

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The allegations date back to November 2024, at which time a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital requested an investigation into the matter, after the actors' mother claimed her sons were "groomed" on the *Cleaning Lady *set between 2022 and 2024, according to the warrant, in which the mother also claimed that one of her sons told a counselor about the alleged abuse in 2025.

Busfield appeared in one episode of the series as an immigration officer, but had a more sizable role behind the camera. He directed six episodes of the series which follows a mother's (Élodie Yung) efforts to care for her chronically ill son while living in Las Vegas on an expired visa and working for the mob. He also served as one of the series' executive producers.

"The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions," a representative for Warner Bros. Television previously told EW. "We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and have systems in place to promptly and thoroughly investigate, and, when needed, take appropriate action. We are aware of the current charges against Mr. Busfield and have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement."****

'West Wing' actor Timothy Busfield accused of child sex abuse, warrant issued for his arrest

Melissa Gilbert deletes social media as husband Timothy Busfield faces child sex abuse allegations

Busfield's wife, *Little House on the Prairie *star Melissa Gilbert, has come under fire since the charges were leveled against the actor.

Fans pointed out that in November, Gilbert spoke out against child sexual abuse amid the ongoing public litigation of Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased, convicted sex offender. Sharing a photo of herself kissing her 23-year-old costar on the *Little House *set, Gilbert wrote on social media, "​​Now, at this age, at this time, I am actually nauseated... I have no words other than to say, 'I WAS A CHILD.' 'I WAS FIFTEEN.'"

Then on Sunday, the day after a warrant was issued for Busfield's arrest, Gilbert deactivated all of her social media accounts.**

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