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 said the actor, known for his roles in the baseball film Field of Dreams and the comedy thriller Revenge of the Nerds, 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 that he remain in custody. The case is now being transferred to district court, with a hearing set for 20 January to determine whether Busfield should be released on bail pending trial.
Prosecutors allege that Busfield groomed and sexually abused the boys, who referred to him as Uncle Tim. One of the boys reported inappropriate touching had started when he was just 7 years old, leading to severe emotional distress and a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Busfield has publicly denied the allegations through a video statement, maintaining that they are fabricated and that he intends to fight them vigorously. His lawyer has alleged that the accusations are part of a revenge plot orchestrated by the children's mother after they were removed from the series.
New allegations have also surfaced, suggesting that Busfield has a documented pattern of sexual misconduct, which prosecutors argue supports the need to keep him in custody. These new claims involve an incident with a teenage girl at a theater in California.
Both Warner Bros Television and Fox, the producers of The Cleaning Lady, have stated they are cooperating with law enforcement regarding the allegations. Busfield's wife has opted to remain silent publicly while supporting him during this challenging period.
