A widening criminal investigation has placed actor and director Timothy Busfield at the center of serious allegations tied to his conduct on a television set in New Mexico.
According to the New York Post, authorities say Busfield, best known for roles in “The West Wing,” is currently being sought as investigators pursue charges related to alleged sexual misconduct involving two child actors.
An arrest warrant obtained by Us Weekly states the 68-year-old made troubling statements to police during a recorded interview about physical contact with minors while working on the Fox series “The Cleaning Lady.”
During questioning by Albuquerque Police Department Officer Marvin Brown, Busfield was asked directly whether he had ever touched the two children involved in the case.
According to the warrant, Busfield responded that it was “highly likely that he would have,” describing the set as a “playful environment.”
The alleged incidents involve twin boys who were 11 years old at the time of the reported misconduct in 2024. Police say Busfield is facing two counts of sexual contact with a minor and child abuse, one count for each child. Investigators are now working with the U.S. Marshals Service to locate him.
When asked about rules governing physical contact with children on set, Busfield reportedly gave conflicting answers. He initially said touching or picking up children “wasn’t allowed,” but then added that there was “no protocol” outlining how adults should interact physically with minors during production.
“I mean, I’m always around people, right? It would be, you know, in front of the parents. There would never be a weird moment about it,” Busfield said during his Nov. 3, 2025, police interview, according to the warrant.
Busfield also told police he did not recall picking up the twins specifically.
“I don’t really remember picking those boys up. I remember picking up the boy who followed them. I’d pick him up and he’d be giggling and that would sort of get him ready to act,” he said, per the warrant.
According to investigators, Busfield acknowledged that tickling children “wouldn’t be uncommon” for him, though he claimed he did not remember “overtly tickling the boys ever” in this case.
Police also questioned Busfield about whether parents were permitted to monitor their children remotely while they were on set. Busfield reportedly said such monitoring via iPads was “not a standard process.”
At the same time, he insisted that the children were never left unsupervised.
“They were never alone on set without the teacher, a welfare worker, or a parent,” he told police, according to the warrant.
Despite those assurances, one of the boys told investigators he was “very afraid” of Busfield during filming.
The child reportedly said he did not report the alleged behavior at the time “because Tim was the director, and he feared Tim would get mad at him,” according to the warrant.
Busfield, who is married to actress Melissa Gilbert, has since been declared missing as authorities continue efforts to locate and arrest him.
