Timothy Busfield made his first court appearance Wednesday on charges of sexually abusing a 7-year-old boy on the set of “Cleaning Women.”
Busfield appeared before Judge Felicia Brea Rivera via Zoom from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque. He was wearing an orange prison jumpsuit.
He was advised that he would remain in custody at least until a hearing on the state’s motion to be held pending trial. A public hearing will be held within five days. No plea was entered.
The longtime actor, who starred on “Thirty Something” and “The West Wing,” faces three charges including criminal sexual contact and child abuse.
He turned himself in to authorities on Tuesday and maintains his innocence. His civil attorney, Larry Stein, said in a statement Wednesday that he voluntarily took and passed a polygraph test.
Prosecutors argued that Busfield posed a danger to the community. After the charges were filed, a man came forward and reported that Busfield allegedly groped the man’s 16-year-old daughter several years ago during a play audition in Sacramento.
According to prosecutors’ filings, Busfield begged her family not to call police and promised to seek treatment. Mr. Busfield has never been criminally charged, but he has faced allegations of sexual misconduct in the past.
The boy and his twin brother were actors on “The Cleaning Lady,” which aired on Fox. The two men told investigators last fall that Busfield touched them on set and made them uncomfortable. The alleged victim accused Busfield of touching her “private area.”
When interviewed by police in November, Busfield said it was “very likely” that he had picked up the boys and tickled them, according to an Albuquerque police affidavit. In a subsequent interview, Mr. Busfield said he did not remember tickling the boys.
“I don’t remember tickling the boys overtly,” he said. “But that’s not unusual for me.”
Busfield also claimed that the boys’ parents were trying to get “revenge” after they were not selected for the show’s final season.
