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 explained that the actor 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 stated that Busfield made an initial court appearance on Wednesday, and a judge ordered him to remain in custody.
The case is now being transferred to district court with a hearing set for January 20 to determine whether Busfield should be granted bail pending trial.
Our priority is to protect the rights of everyone involved, Bregman added, urging anyone with information to contact law enforcement.
Prosecutors allege that Busfield groomed and sexually abused the boys while working on set for The Cleaning Lady, which he both directs and executive produces. In an affidavit supporting his arrest warrant, authorities claim the boys referred to Busfield as Uncle Tim and alleged he engaged in inappropriate touching for years.
One of the boys alleged that Busfield touched his private areas, according to court documents. The boy, who began experiencing nightmares and bedwetting issues attributed to these encounters, feared reprisals from Busfield if he spoke out.
Before surrendering, Busfield posted a video maintaining his innocence and asserting an intent to fight against the accusations being made against him.
His lawyer questioned the credibility of the allegations, claiming a lack of corroborating evidence from prior investigations. However, new allegations surfaced regarding misconduct towards a 16-year-old girl in California, prompting prosecutors to highlight a pattern of behavior.
The case is drawing significant media attention, with Warner Bros Television and Fox confirming their awareness of the charges and pledging to cooperate with law enforcement.
As the legal process unfolds, Busfield's wife has requested privacy while she supports their family.
