EXCLUSIVE: Inside Child Abuse-Accused Timothy Busfield's Scandalous Past — Including Allegation He Groped 16-Year-Old Girl
Timothy Busfield's past includes a child abuse scandal and an allegation he groped a 16-year-old girl.
Feb. 20 2026, Published 6:15 a.m. ET
Thirtysomething alum Timothy Busfield has turned himself in to New Mexico police to face child sex abuse charges – but the scandal isn't the first time the star has been accused of being a predator, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Last month, an arrest warrant was issued for 68-year-old Busfield, alleging he'd engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with twin boys, now 11, in 2022, while they worked on the director's TV series The Cleaning Lady. He is charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse.
Shortly before surrendering to lawmen in Albuquerque, the West Wing actor – who's been married to Little House on the Prairie legend Melissa Gilbert since 2013 – vowed to "confront" the horrible "lies."
Busfield Denies The Allegations
Timothy Busfield vowed to 'confront the lies' as wife, Melissa Gilbert, was named amid New Mexico sex abuse charges.
He insisted, "I did not do anything to those little boys, and I'm gonna fight it," adding, "I'm gonna be exonerated, I know I am, because this is all so wrong."
Busfield's lawyer maintains there's no evidence of any wrongdoing and claims the children's mother is seeking revenge. According to reports, Busfield told cops that he heard the mom vowed to get back at him after the boys weren't cast for the show's final season.
The attorney also states that Busfield voluntarily submitted to an independent polygraph examination regarding the allegations and passed.
Old Allegations Resurface Again
New Mexico prosecutors referenced a California claim involving Busfield and a then-16-year-old, though no charges were filed.
However, New Mexico prosecutors now said a California father recently reached out to claim Busfield kissed his then 16-year-old daughter and touched her intimate parts "several years ago" – and begged the family not to report the incident if he received therapy.
He has not been charged in connection to the California claim and Busfield's lawyer noted: "The allegations were never challenged, they were never proved, and they're 25 years old. And there doesn't seem to be any connection between these allegations regarding women 25 years ago and the allegations regarding these young boys."
Back in 1994, a 17-year-old female extra on Little Big League accused Busfield of plying her with booze and sexually assaulting her. No criminal charges were ever filed, and Busfield, who denied the allegations, settled the girl's suit for an undisclosed amount.
The actor was also ordered to pay about $150,000 to a Minneapolis law firm after a judge rejected his claim that the legal ages fabricated the teen's case against him.
Legal Costs Battle Resolved
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A defamation dispute tied to Busfield ended with a $150,000 payment to law firm Messerli & Kramer.
The figure was to reimburse the firm Messerli & Kramer for the amount it cost to defend itself in a defamation suit filed by Busfield. He later appealed the costs award, and the parties settled the case.
And in 2012, a 28-year-old woman accused Busfield of battery, alleging he slipped his hands under her clothes in an L.A. movie theater and touched her genitals for four minutes.
Prosecutors declined to pursue a case, and there was no civil suit. Busfield claimed the encounter was consensual.
