A Hollywood mystery is unfolding after Timothy Busfield was reported missing just days after a warrant was issued for his arrest over disturbing allegations involving a child actor.
The 68-year-old Emmy winner, best known for roles on The West Wing and Thirtysomething, has not been seen since authorities in New Mexico issued an arrest warrant accusing him of inappropriate contact with a minor on a television set.
According to police, federal authorities are now involved. The U.S. Marshals Service has joined Albuquerque investigators in an effort to locate Busfield and take him into custody. As of the latest update, police confirmed he has not been found, detained, or arrested.
The warrant charges Busfield with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse, stemming from alleged incidents on the set of The Cleaning Lady, where Busfield worked as a director.
Investigators say two boys, both reportedly 11 at the time they were evaluated, were allegedly groomed while working on the show. One child told authorities the alleged contact began when he was just seven or eight years old and said he was too afraid to report it earlier because he feared Busfield would get angry. The actor allegedly encouraged the children to call him “Uncle Tim.”
A second child later came forward with similar claims, alleging inappropriate contact during the first two years they worked together on the series.
Police say the investigation began after a doctor at a New Mexico hospital reported concerns to authorities.
In statements attributed to Busfield in court documents, he allegedly told police it was “highly likely” there had been some form of physical contact, though he claimed he did not remember the children and denied intentionally touching them inappropriately, adding that casual physical interaction “wouldn’t be uncommon.”
As the search continues, Fox and Warner Bros. released a joint statement emphasizing that the safety of minors is their top priority and that all allegations are taken seriously.
The fallout has reportedly extended to Busfield’s personal life. His wife, actress Melissa Gilbert, has deleted her Instagram account since the allegations became public.
Busfield has worked in Hollywood for decades, earning more than 700 acting, directing, and producing credits. He won an Emmy in 1991 for his role on Thirtysomething.
This is not the first time the actor has faced serious accusations. Court records show he was accused in the mid-1990s of sexually assaulting a high school student on the set of the baseball film Little Big League. The unnamed teen alleged the actor supplied alcohol, made sexual advances, and attempted to coerce her into sex. Busfield strongly denied those claims at the time and filed a countersuit accusing the teen’s attorneys of defamation and misconduct.
For now, authorities say the search for Busfield remains active as federal and local law enforcement work together to track him down.
Chop off his biden.