Timothy Busfield’s Attorney Critiques New Mexico DA’s Child Abuse Indictment as Unfounded and Unprovable in Court
Actor Timothy Busfield Indicted on Child Sex Abuse Charges
Timothy Busfield, known for his role in thirtysomething, was indicted by New Mexico prosecutors on charges of child sex abuse. His attorney swiftly criticized the indictment, suggesting that the case serves interests other than justice.
“As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich,” the attorney stated. “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 was charged on January 9 with two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and child abuse. The allegations involve two minor boys on the set of the Fox/Warner Bros TV series The Cleaning Lady.
Having directed several episodes of the series during its four-season run from 2022 to 2025, Busfield is currently being held without bond at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center. He made a brief court appearance remotely on January 14 in Judge Felicia Blea-Rivera’s courtroom.
In a recent hearing, defense attorneys Amber Fayerberg and Christopher Dodd argued the abuse claims stem from “con artists” and indicated a motive of revenge rather than factual basis. They successfully challenged attempts by the District Attorney’s office, led by Sam Bregman, to keep Busfield detained, stating he posed a potential danger.
Fayerberg particularly noted that the claims from the two brothers, both born in 2014 and former The Cleaning Lady actors, originally included only minor touching during initial interviews in late 2024. It wasn’t until later that more severe allegations were made.
In a phone interview with police late last year, Busfield claimed that Élodie Yung, the lead actress of The Cleaning Lady, informed him that the boys’ mother wanted revenge for not bringing her children back for the show’s final season.
Following Busfield’s surrender on January 20, Judge David Murphy expressed skepticism about the prosecution’s concerns. “There are no similar allegations involving children in his past,” the judge remarked during the hearing. “There’s no evidence of non-compliance with prior court orders. Rather, this defendant self-surrendered and submitted himself to this Court’s jurisdiction demonstrating compliance with the court order for his arrest.”
Busfield was released on January 20 with conditions: he must avoid unsupervised contact with any minors involved in the case, refrain from contacting the alleged victims and their families, and not discuss the case with witnesses.
On Friday, the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s office announced the indictment, which charges Busfield with four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child. In a statement, Bregman emphasized the commitment to child protection while asserting that Busfield is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Busfield has since returned to his home on the East Coast while remaining in contact with officials in New Mexico.
