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U.S. Marshals intervene in investigation after arrest warrant issued for Timothy Busfield on suspicion of child sexual abuse Albuquerque Police Department (APD) confirms to People that it is cooperating with U.S. Marshals in finding and arresting Busfield The arrest warrant alleges that Busfield, who is married to Melissa Gilbert, engaged in illegal sexual acts with twin 11-year-old boys.
The U.S. Marshals Service intervened in the search for Timothy Busfield after the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) issued a warrant for his arrest for allegedly engaging in illicit sexual acts with 11-year-old twin boys.
APD confirmed to People that it is working with the U.S. Marshals Service to locate and arrest Bassfield. 68. The U.S. Marshals Service did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
When asked by the public if Mr. Busfield had been located, taken into custody and arrested at this time, an APD spokesperson said, “Not that I am aware of.”
In an APD warrant obtained by PEOPLE, Officer Marvin Brown alleges that two boys, 11-year-old twins whose identities have not been released, were subjected to sex crimes by Bassfield. According to the arrest warrant, one of the minors claims the incidents began when he was 7 years old.
Busfield is married to Melissa Gilbert. The West Wing actor and Little House on the Prairie star, 61, married in 2013.
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The investigation into Basfield, a prolific television director, began in November 2024 after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) contacted police about possible sexual abuse, according to the warrant.
The victims’ parents told Brown that the minors were child actors who met on the set of the Fox series “Cleaning Women,” which Busfield directed. The TV show aired from January 2022 to June 2025.
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The parents were advised by lawyers to take the children to UNMH, where experts suggested the boys were “groomed,” according to the warrant. However, it was later determined that the case did not meet the acceptance criteria of the authorities at the time.
The victim’s mother then filed a police report in October 2025, telling Child Protective Services (CPS) that both children disclosed sexual abuse by Timothy from around November 2022 to spring 2024.
But he was told nothing could be done because no physical abuse occurred, according to the warrant.
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During the investigation, Busfield told police that his parents were upset that their son had been replaced by a younger actor who had auditioned, according to the warrant.
Shortly after, the actor received a call from Warner Bros., informing him that they were looking into the complaint.
Weeks before a warrant was issued for her husband’s arrest, Gilbert spoke out about child sexual abuse in a social media post.
In November, Gilbert shared a throwback photo of himself and reflected on his Little House on the Prairie experience when he shot it with his older girlfriend. She did not allege any inappropriate behavior by the actor.
Gilbert shared a post of remorse following Megyn Kelly’s comments about convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453 or visit www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. Our hotline is available 24/7 in over 170 languages.
