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, who is also 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 said 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 and a hearing has been set for 20 January to determine whether Busfield should be released on bail pending trial.
Our priority is to protect the rights of everyone involved, Bregman said at the news conference, urging anyone with information to contact law enforcement.
In a warrant for Busfield's arrest, prosecutors say the parents of boys allege that Busfield groomed and sexually abused the youngsters while working on set for The Cleaning Lady, which Busfield both directs and executive produces. It airs on Fox in the US.
In an affidavit supporting his arrest warrant, authorities claim the boys referred to Busfield as Uncle Tim and alleged that he would tickle them on the stomach and legs. Both boys told authorities they were touched inappropriately for years, the arrest affidavit states.
One of the boys alleged that Busfield touched his private areas, according to court documents. The boy told authorities that the alleged inappropriate touching started when he was 7 years old and he was scared to speak out because he feared that Busfield would get mad at him.
The documents state that the boy had suffered nightmares and was having troubles wetting the bed since the alleged encounters. He has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety, authorities say in the court documents.
Before he turned himself in, Busfield appeared in a video provided to TMZ saying that he was contacted on Friday night about getting a lawyer. The next day he drove 2,000 miles (3,200 km) to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to surrender to authorities.
They're all lies and I did not do anything to those little boys and I'm gonna fight it. I'm gonna fight it with a great team, and I'm gonna be exonerated, I know I am, because this is all so wrong and all lies, he said in the video.
His lawyer says the case stems from wanting revenge. Busfield told authorities that the boys' mother had threatened revenge when they were replaced on the series, the arrest affidavit states.
As reflected in the criminal complaint, after her son was terminated from the show, the boy's mother vowed to 'get her revenge against Timothy Busfield.' What followed appears to be a calculated effort to construct a case, driven by animus not fact, despite prior investigations finding no evidence of wrongdoing, Stein said.
In that court document, prosecutors noted a new allegation, where a father claims that Busfield kissed and groped a 16-year-old girl several years ago. Busfield's past accusations have also been highlighted by prosecutors, further complicating the case.
Warner Bros Television and Fox are aware of the situation, stating that they prioritize the health and safety of their cast and crew as the legal proceedings unfold.
A spokesperson for Busfield's wife, actress Melissa Gilbert, stated that she will not make public statements during this time and emphasized her support for her husband as the family navigates this challenging moment.
