Timothy Busfield is scheduled to have a court hearing next Tuesday on whether he should be held in prison pending trial on child molestation charges.
Mr. Busfield remains in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque after turning himself in on Tuesday. At a press conference Thursday, Prosecutor Sam Bregman said it is routine for his office to seek pretrial detention in child sexual abuse cases.
Busfield, 68, faces three charges: two counts of criminal sexual contact with a child and one count of child abuse. The first two charges each carry a maximum sentence of six years in prison, and the third charge carries a maximum sentence of three years.
Busfield is accused of molesting a 7-year-old boy who appeared on “Cleaning Women” in 2022. The boy told investigators last fall that Busfield, who was hired to direct six episodes of the Fox show, touched his “private parts” on set.
Busfield, star of “Thirty Something” and “The West Wing,” steadfastly maintains his innocence. His attorney, Stanton “Larry” Stein, said Wednesday that Busfield voluntarily took and passed a polygraph test.
Bregman declined to discuss the facts of the case at a news conference, saying it would be inappropriate.
“My first duty, and the duty of my office, is to ensure the integrity of this process,” he said. “The rules of professional conduct are clear: prosecutors should try cases in court, not in the media, and that is our intention.”
He also called on anyone with information to come forward to law enforcement.
New Mexico voters reformed bail procedures in 2016, eliminating cash bail while allowing judges to detain defendants if they pose a danger to the community.
In Wednesday’s motion, prosecutors argued that Busfield does pose a danger to children if released.
“His conduct reflects a calculated pattern of grooming, lack of boundaries, and abuse of professional authority to have contact with minors,” Assistant District Attorney Savannah Brandenburg Koch wrote.
Prosecutors also accused Busfield of being late in turning himself in and of flying to New Mexico to face extradition without reporting to authorities near his home in New York.
The court’s pretrial services division recommended that he be released on his own recognizance.
Judge David Murphy will hold a hearing on the state’s request Tuesday afternoon. Mr. Busfield will then be formally charged and arraigned.
Bregman estimated the case would take 12 to 18 months to resolve.
Mr. Bregman is the Democratic candidate for governor of New Mexico. He is also the father of baseball star Alex Bregman.
