A New Mexico judge has thrown out child sexual abuse charges against Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield, ruling on Friday that prosecutors had handled the case improperly.
Busfield, known for his roles in The West Wing and Field of Dreams, was indicted in February on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child. He has denied all the allegations against him.
Judge finds fault with the prosecution
State District Judge Joseph Montano granted the defence’s request to dismiss the indictment. He cited mistakes that undermined the grand jury process. The judge also said the prosecutor “failed to act in a fair and impartial manner.”
The Office of the Second Judicial District Attorney in Bernalillo County said it had received the order. A spokesperson said the office was weighing its options on how to proceed.
Accusations linked to The Cleaning Lady set
The charges grew out of accusations from child actors who worked with Busfield on the Fox series The Cleaning Lady, which he directed and produced.
The indictment said that between 19 October 2022 and 10 September 2023, Busfield “touched or applied force to the intimate parts” of one of the unnamed boys when the boy was under 13.
In an arrest warrant, prosecutors said the boys’ parents alleged he groomed and sexually abused the youngsters while the show was in production. Authorities said the boys called him “Uncle Tim” and claimed he “would tickle them on the stomach and legs.” According to an arrest affidavit, both boys said they had been touched inappropriately for years.
Arrest, release and defence claims
Busfield surrendered to state authorities in January, after a warrant was issued for his arrest. A judge later ordered his release pending trial. He was first taken into custody in Albuquerque on two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and one count of child abuse.
His defence team submitted more than 70 letters from people vouching for his character. It also said he underwent and passed a polygraph test related to the allegations.
His lawyers have argued that the accusations were an act of revenge after the children were fired from the series, an decision that angered their mother. Efforts were made to reach a legal representative for Busfield for comment.
