Actor and director Timothy Busfield appeared in court Tuesday as he faces allegations of child sex abuse.
New photos show Busfield, 68, at a hearing in the Second District Judicial Court at the Bernalillo County Courthouse in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
His wife, Melissa Gilbert, 62, was seen sitting in the courtroom behind him, supporting him.
Timothy Busfield in the Second District Judicial Court at the Bernalillo County Courthouse, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. via REUTERS
Melissa Gilbert, Busfield’s wife, sits in the gallery during her husband’s hearing. Getty ImagesProsecutors have charged Busfield with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse, which he denied.
On Jan. 9, an arrest warrant was issued for Busfield, on allegations of child sex abuse in New Mexico. The actor and director is best known for his roles in “Field of Dreams” and “The West Wing.”
He has denied the accusations but he surrendered to police Jan. 13.
According to court docs obtained by KOAT, the investigation into the matter was launched in November 2024 when an officer was dispatched to the University of New Mexico Hospital after a doctor called police.
An officer reportedly spoke with two parents who claimed that their children were actors on the Fox series “The Cleaning Lady.”
Busfield is accused of inappropriately touching one of the boys three or four times, and the other five or six times, according to the arrest warrant.
Gilbert at the hearing. Getty Images
Busfield greets defense attorney Christopher Allen Dodd before his hearing. Getty ImagesCurrently, he remains behind bars.
The “Little House on the Prairie” actress has been married to Busfield since 2013. Gilbert submitted a letter of support for her husband that was obtained by People and published Sunday.
“I only want this extraordinary man safe and whole,” Gilbert wrote.
She continued, “Please, please, take care of my sweet husband. As he is my protector, I am his, but I cannot protect him now and I think that, more than anything else, is what is truly breaking my heart, I am relying on you to protect him for me.”
Defense attorney Amber Fayerberg, Busfield and Dodd listen as Bernalillo Country Deputy District Attorney Savannah Brandenburg-Koch presents during the hearing. Getty Images
Busfield’s lawyer Larry Stein at the Bernalillo County Courthouse. APAfter his arrest, Busfield was edited out of an upcoming Amazon MGM film. Per the Hollywood Reporter, he will no longer appear in the rom-com “You Deserve Each Other” starring Meghann Fahy, Penn Badgley, Kyle MacLachlan and Justin Long.
