Timothy Busfield faces potential 15-year prison sentence if convicted

Authorities have outlined serious criminal charges against actor Timothy Busfield, who could receive up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Two days after Busfield, 68, surrendered to police, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman addressed the case during a press conference on January 15.

Bregman confirmed that Busfield is charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor under the age of 13 and one count of child abuse.

“Under New Mexico law, each count of criminal sexual contact carries up to six years of incarceration, and child abuse carries up to three years,” Bregman said of the potential penalties.

The case has now been transferred to District Court. Busfield is scheduled to appear on January 20 for a pretrial detention hearing, where a judge will decide whether he will remain in custody until trial or be released under specific conditions.

He appeared in court for the first time on January 14, when a judge ordered him held pending that hearing.

Busfield turned himself in on January 13, four days after an arrest warrant was issued by the Albuquerque Police Department.

According to the warrant, authorities allege Busfield engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with 11-year-old twin boys.

The children’s parents told investigators that the boys met Busfield while on the set of the FOX series The Cleaning Lady, where he worked as a director during season two.

The warrant claims Busfield developed a close relationship with the children, allegedly encouraging them to call him “Uncle Tim.”

An additional allegation surfaced in a pretrial detention motion filed January 14, in which a man reported that Busfield allegedly sexually abused his daughter years earlier in California. 

Busfield has denied all allegations, calling them “lies” in a video posted following his surrender.