A prominent Hollywood presence has been indicted on a litany of heinous charges.
According to KRQE-TV, actor, producer, and director Timothy Busfield was indicted by a New Mexico grand jury on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child.
Busfield, 68, is alleged to have inappropriately touched two boys while filming on set for “The Cleaning Lady,” which was filmed in Albuquerque.
Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman confirmed this news in a Friday Facebook post.
“Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman announced today that a Bernalillo County grand jury indicted Timothy Busfield,” the post said.
“As with all criminal proceedings, Mr. Busfield is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law,” Bregman’s post notes. “This case will proceed through the judicial process and is expected to move forward to trial.
“The case will be prosecuted by the Special Victims Unit of the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office. District Attorney Sam Bregman emphasized that protecting children remains a top priority for his office.
“The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office remains committed to doing everything possible to protect children and ensure justice for victims.”
The post ended with a blunt declaration: “No further information is being released at this time.”
According to the complaint obtained by KRQE, one of the minors told a forensic interviewer that Busfield inappropriately touched him on multiple occasions while they were on set, beginning when the child was seven years old.
The boy said the contact occurred between scenes and estimated it happened five or six times. He later reported that similar conduct continued the following year, when he was eight, and said it took place another three or four times.
Investigators also heard from a second child, who said Busfield had touched him as well. That child did not allege the same type or location of contact, according to the complaint.
An arrest warrant was issued for Busfield in early January.
While Busfield eventually turned himself in, he did so after recording a video proclaiming his innocence.
“I’m going to confront these lies. They’re horrible. They’re all lies, and I did not do anything to those little boys, and I’m going to fight it,” Busfield said in the video.
Busfield’s attorney, Stanton “Larry” Stein, provided a statement to KRQE, which claimed the prosecution’s case is weak.
“The indictment was not unexpected,” Stein’s statement said. “As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich.
“What is deeply concerning is that the District Attorney is choosing to proceed on a case that is fundamentally unsound and cannot be proven at trial.
“The detention hearing exposed fatal weaknesses in the State’s evidence — gaps that no amount of charging decisions can cure.
“This prosecution appears driven by something other than the facts or the law. Mr. Busfield will fight these charges at every stage and looks forward to testing the State’s case in open court — where evidence matters — not behind closed doors.”
Busfield has a sizable IMDb profile, with acting credits that date as far back as 1981, including political drama “The West Wing “(28 episodes from 1999-2006), sitcom “Thirtysomething” (85 episodes in 1987-91), and a number of media projects as both director and producer.
He has had numerous award nominations and won an Emmy in 1991 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for “Thirtysomething.”
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