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Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield was ordered held without bond during his first court appearance Wednesday, a day after he turned himself in to authorities to face child sexual abuse charges.
The charges stem from allegations that he sexually assaulted a minor on a television show he hosted in New Mexico.
Busfield appeared remotely via video link at the jail where he was held Tuesday. Whether or not he stays in jail will be the subject of a detention hearing scheduled within five working days.
Albuquerque police issued a warrant for Basfield’s arrest last week. The criminal complaint is that the act happened on a series of sets Cleaning ladyFilmed in Albuquerque.
Busfield, who is married to actress Melissa Gilbert and is known for his looks The West Wing, Field of Dreams And thirty something, He vowed to fight the charges. In a video shared before turning himself in, Busfield called the allegations false.
Decades of alleged misconduct
Prosecutors are looking to keep Basfield’s case in court. They filed the motion early Wednesday, citing what they described as two decades of sexual misconduct, abuse of power and grooming behavior by Busfield.
The witnesses also said they were concerned about retaliation and professional injury.
The question is whether research and experience show that perpetrators are uniquely positioned to evade accountability and evade protections designed to protect children when they exert power, status or influence.
“Given the defendant’s apparent disregard for boundaries, jurisdiction, and compliance, no condition or condition of release can reasonably protect the victims or the community,” the request states.
It is up to the judge to decide whether to accept the request. A detention hearing has not yet been scheduled.
Prosecutors also took issue with Busfield’s release of a video to media outlet TMZ on Tuesday, suggesting that he was prioritizing “personal narrative control and public relations” over compliance with the court process.
According to the criminal complaint, a police department detective said the boy was seven years old when Basfield repeatedly touched him in private areas on his clothing. Bousfield said he touched him another time when he was eight years old, the complaint said.
The complaint also reported that the child was afraid to tell anyone because Busfield was the director and was afraid he would be angry with him.
The boy’s twin brother told authorities he was touched by Busfield, but did not say where. He said he didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to get into trouble.
The twins’ mother reported the abuse to Child Protective Services between November 2022 and spring 2024, the complaint said.
In an interview with police last fall, Bousfield denied the allegations and suggested that the boys’ mother wanted revenge for her children’s serial replacements. The argument was echoed by Busfield’s lawyer on Tuesday.
The investigation began in November 2024 after a doctor called at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque. The children’s parents went there on the recommendation of a law firm, he complained.
Busfield’s attorney said an independent investigation by Warner Bros. failed to substantiate allegations of inappropriate behavior by Busfield. But the prosecution argued that the detective failed to contact key witnesses.