Timothy Busfield reportedly surrenders after arrest warrant alleges child-abuse charges

According to People, actor and director Timothy Busfield reportedly surrendered to police on Tuesday, Jan. 13; a copy of the arrest warrant obtained by the outlet alleges he faces two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse.

The warrant alleges the abuse involved two 11-year-old twins who met Busfield on the set of the FOX series The Cleaning Lady after he joined as a director in season 2 (which aired in 2022). It says an investigation began on Nov. 1, 2024, after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital alerted police, and includes parents' statements that Busfield told the boys to call him "Uncle Tim," that he would tickle them on the stomach and legs, and that professionals suggested the boys "were groomed." In a video obtained by another outlet, Busfield said, "I did not do anything wrong," and said he would "fight it" and be exonerated.

The warrant also references an internal Warner Bros. review that documented a claim a minor was kissed in December 2024; a Warner Bros. Television representative said the studio takes such allegations seriously and will cooperate with law enforcement, while FOX did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The criminal allegations and the ongoing investigation are detailed in the arrest warrant; further legal developments were not included in the material provided.

Key Topics

Culture, Timothy Busfield, Unmh, Warner Bros. Television, Albuquerque Police Department, Fox