The search for Timothy Busfield has intensified after the US Marshals Service joined local police in an effort to locate the veteran actor following the issuance of an arrest warrant in New Mexico tied to disturbing child sex abuse allegations.
The Albuquerque Police Department (APD) confirmed that investigators are working alongside federal marshals to track down the 68-year-old actor, best known for roles in The West Wing and Field of Dreams, and take him into custody.
“Albuquerque Police Department is working with the U.S. Marshal Service to get Mr. Busfield into custody,” APD spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos told Deadline on Monday.
Authorities have not provided a timeline for Busfield’s arrest.
According to court documents, Busfield is wanted on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse. An arrest warrant issued Friday alleges that Busfield engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with 11-year-old twin boys while directing the Fox series The Cleaning Lady in 2024.
One of the alleged victims told investigators the abuse began when he and his brother were just 7 years old, the affidavit states.
The case initially surfaced in November 2024, when a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital alerted police to suspected sexual abuse and grooming involving the children. While APD initially declined to press charges, the investigation was reopened in September 2025 after one of the boys disclosed to a counselor — and later a pediatrician — that Busfield had allegedly touched him inappropriately.
The warrant further claims Busfield encouraged the children to call him “Uncle Tim” and would tickle them on their stomachs and legs.
During a phone interview with police in November, Busfield reportedly acknowledged it was “highly likely” he had physical contact with the twins while filming the show, though he claimed he did not recall the boys or the alleged incidents.
Busfield also told investigators that The Cleaning Lady lead actress Élodie Yung had suggested the twins’ mother was seeking “revenge” because the boys were not invited back for the show’s final season. The allegations remain under active investigation.
Busfield has amassed hundreds of credits as an actor, producer, and director, with prominent roles in The West Wing, Thirtysomething, Revenge of the Nerds, and Stripes. He has been married since 2013 to Melissa Gilbert, the former Little House on the Prairie star. Gilbert, 61, is not accused of any wrongdoing.
In November, Gilbert shared an Instagram post condemning child sexual abuse following public comments by Megyn Kelly regarding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Law enforcement continues to search for Busfield as the case unfolds.
