Actor Timothy Busfield indicted in New Mexico on child sex abuse charges

A grand jury in New Mexico has indicted the actor Timothy Busfield on child sex abuse charges, officials announced on Friday.Busfield was indicted on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, the Bernalillo County district attorney’s office said in a statement.“As with all criminal proceedings, Mr Busfield is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law,” said Sam Bregman, the district attorney. “This case will proceed through the judicial process and is expected to move forward to trial.”The case will be prosecuted by the office’s special victims unit. Busfield has denied the allegations.Albuquerque police issued a warrant for Busfield’s arrest in January on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse. A criminal complaint alleges the acts occurred between 22 November 2022 and spring 2024 on the set of the TV drama series The Cleaning Lady, which Busfield directed and acted in.According to the criminal complaint, an investigator with the police department says the child in question reported that Busfield touched him on private areas over his clothing on one occasion when he was seven years old and another time when he was eight. The boy’s twin brother told authorities he was also touched by Busfield, but did not specify in what way and he said he didn’t say anything immediately because he didn’t want to get in trouble.Busfield claimed his innocence in a video shared with entertainment outlet TMZ.“They’re all lies,” Busfield said in the video. “I did not do anything to those little boys, and I’m going to fight it.”He has not yet entered a plea in court.Albuquerque prosecutors and police have cited what they portray as a pattern of sexual misconduct amid his work, including an allegation of sexual abuse of a 16-year-old girl in Sacramento.Busfield’s lawyers did not immediately respond to The Guardian’s request for comment.Busfield is best known for appearances in the West Wing, Field of Dreams and Thirtysomething.Additional reporting by the Associated Press. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453 or visit their website for more resources and to report child abuse or DM for help. For adult survivors of child abuse, help is available at ascasupport.org. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International