The U.S. Marshals has joined the search for actor and director Timothy Busfield, who allegedly admitted that it’s “highly likely” children were touched on the set of “The Cleaning Lady” in New Mexico.
According to NBC News, authorities issued an arrest warrant on January 9 for Busfield, who stands accused of inappropriately touching two children.
Busfield, well-known for his role for “The West Wing” drama series, was the director and an actor in “The Cleaning Lady,” when he touched two boys, ages 7 and 8 at the time, on numerous occasions, according to a criminal complaint.
One of the children alleged that Busfield touched him in his private area.
The abuse reportedly happened between 2022 and 2024, the criminal complaint stated. Warner Bros. subsequently conducted its own investigation and determined that they could not find any evidence that Busfield acted inappropriately.
The criminal complaint indicated that during questioning with Albuquerque police, Busfield admitted that it was “highly likely” that he would have touched the children on that particular set, as it was a “playful environment,” US Weekly reports.
“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 told police during a November 2025 interview with Albuquerque police.
Busfield also allegedly claimed that the mother of one of the children became upset upon learning the boy would not be returning to the show for its final season.
After a judge issued an arrest warrant for Busfield, the U.S. Marshals joined the search on January 13.
“Albuquerque Police Department is working with the U.S. Marshal Service to get Mr. Busfield into custody,” APD spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos told FOX News Digital.
Busfield is facing child abuse and two counts of sexual contact with a minor charges. His wife, actress Melissa Gilbert, has since deleted her Instagram account.
The affidavit stated that one of the victims had bed-wetting incidents after the alleged abuse, “along with other behavior issues,” post-traumatic stress disorder, and “about the director touching him,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
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[Feature Photo: FILE – Actor Timothy Busfield smiles before an NFL football game in Detroit, Sept. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)]
