'The West Wing' actor Timothy Busfield faces arrest warrant over allegations of child sexual abuse

Timothy Busfield is facing an arrest warrant in New Mexico over allegations of sexual abuse involving two minors.

The alleged victims are 11-year-old twin boys, whose identities have not been made public.

One of the children reportedly told authorities the alleged conduct began when he was seven.

The arrest warrant issued by the Albuquerque Police Department on Friday states that Busfield has been charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse, People recently reported.

The investigation began on November 1, 2024, after a physician at the University of New Mexico Hospital contacted police regarding possible sexual abuse.

The children’s parents told investigators that their sons were child actors who met Busfield while working on the FOX series The Cleaning Lady, where The West Wing actor, 68, served as a director.

In a statement, a Warner Bros. Television spokesperson told the press that the company takes allegations involving minors seriously and has systems in place to investigate misconduct.

According to the warrant, the parents said Busfield became increasingly close to the boys during production and encouraged them to call him “Uncle Tim.” After hearing rumours that Busfield had previously behaved inappropriately with women, the children’s mother asked her sons whether anyone had ever touched them in a way that made them uncomfortable. The boys allegedly responded, “You mean like Uncle Tim?”

The children were later evaluated at UNMH, where professionals suggested they may have been groomed. At that time, the warrant states, the boys had not disclosed explicit sexual contact but described being tickled on their stomachs and legs. Authorities initially determined the case did not meet acceptance criteria.

In subsequent months, the mother filed additional reports with police and Child Protective Services, alleging that her sons disclosed sexual abuse occurring between November 2022 and spring 2024. One child later told a counselor that Busfield had inappropriately touched him.

An internal Warner Bros. investigation also reportedly documented a claim that Busfield kissed a minor on the face in a hair and makeup trailer in December 2024.

Busfield denied wrongdoing in statements cited in the warrant, saying that any physical interaction would have been playful and in public. He also suggested the parents were upset over casting changes.

The warrant also notes that Busfield has faced prior sexual assault allegations dating back to 1994.

The Cleaning Lady aired from January 2022 through June 2025.