West Wing actor Timothy Busfield indicted on child abuse charges
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Director and actor Timothy Busfield looks on before a court hearing in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Jan 20.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Timothy Busfield ("The West Wing") was indicted on child sex abuse charges in New Mexico, accused of abusing twin boys during "The Cleaning Lady" filming.
- Busfield, an executive producer and director on the show, denies the charges as "lies" and believes he will be exonerated in court.
- Despite a judge initially finding insufficient evidence for pre-trial detention, a grand jury has decided to proceed, potentially leading to a trial.
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ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico - Timothy Busfield, the US actor and director known for his role in The West Wing, was indicted by a New Mexico grand jury on charges of child sex abuse, the prosecutor’s office in Albuquerque announced on Feb 6.
Busfield surrendered to authorities
The 68-year-old actor, in a video recorded before he surrendered, said the charges against him were “lies”, and that he would be exonerated.
A judge ordered Busfield to be released from jail about a week later, ruling there was insufficient evidence for pre-trial detention.
Busfield could not immediately be reached for comment.
His defence lawyer, Christopher Dodd, did not respond to queries.
Allowing prosecutors to proceed to a trial, a grand jury voted to indict Busfield on Feb 5 on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, a third-degree felony in New Mexico.
The indictment was not yet public on the morning of Feb 6, but the district attorney’s original criminal complaint said Busfield abused the twin boys while filming The Cleaning Lady in Albuquerque, the state’s biggest city.
Busfield was an executive producer of the show, and also the director of some episodes.
Busfield is famous for his prime-time television roles as a White House reporter on the NBC political drama The West Wing, which ran from 1999 to 2006, and as an advertising agency executive on the 1980s ABC ensemble series Thirtysomething.
He is married to Melissa Gilbert, an actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. REUTERS
