The West Wing actor Timothy Busfield is facing another accusation of sexual abuse after he surrendered to the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) on Tuesday. An arrest warrant had been issued for the director to face child sex abuse charges last week.
Busfield was booked by Albuquerque police on charges of child sex abuse stemming from allegations that he inappropriately touched a minor on the set of a TV series he was directing in New Mexico. He faces two counts of criminal sexual contact of a child under 13 and one count of child abuse.
The new accusation of sexual abuse comes from a pretrial detention motion filed on Jan. 14, and viewed by Global News.
In the filing, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bergman and Deputy DA Savannah Brandenburg-Koch revealed that the claim against Busfield came to light over the past 24 hours.
“Another victim’s father, Colin Swift, reported to law enforcement on January 13, 2026 reporting sexual abuse of their daughter that occurred several years ago by the hands of the defendant in Sacramento, CA,” the filing states.
“While auditioning for the defendant at B Street Theatre, the 16-year-old reported that defendant kissed her and put his hands down her pants and touched her privates,” the filing continues.
Busfield allegedly “begged the family to not report to law enforcement if he received therapy.”
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Swift, who is a therapist himself, “thought at the time that was the best thing to do,” according to the motion.
“The Defendant poses an ongoing and serious danger to children and the community,” the motion for pretrial detention says. “His conduct reflects a calculated pattern of grooming, lack of boundaries, and exploitation of professional authority to gain access to minors.”
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Authorities are also asking the judge to detain Busfield while trial is pending.
“Witnesses in this investigation expressed fear of retaliation and career harm for reporting the Defendant’s conduct, further underscoring his ability to intimidate and silence others,” the legal doc says.
“No condition or combination of conditions—including supervision, electronic monitoring, or no contact orders—can reasonably mitigate this danger.”
The pretrial motion claims that Busfield has a “history of alleged sexual misconduct spanning more than two decades.”
“Coupled with the fear expressed by witnesses regarding retaliation and professional harm, illustrates how individuals in positions of power are able to silence victims and witnesses, allowing abuse to persist unchecked,” the filing adds.
The doc also notes that despite “knowing on Friday afternoon that a warrant had been issued for his arrest,” Busfield, “did not immediately surrender to law enforcement.
“Instead, he delayed for approximately five days, traveling from New York to New Mexico to avoid the extradition process. This was not an act of cooperation; it was a calculated decision to submit to law enforcement only on terms most convenient to the Defendant,” the doc adds.
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Before surrendering to authorities, Busfield released a video to TMZ, denying the allegations against him.
“They’re all lies and I did not do anything to those little boys and I’m gonna fight it. I’m gonna fight it with a great team, and I’m gonna be exonerated, I know I am, because this is all so wrong and all lies,” he said.
The pretrial motion refers to the video as “troubling.”
“Prior to surrendering, the Defendant chose to record and disseminate a video to a national media outlet, TMZ. This conduct demonstrates a willingness to prioritize personal narrative control and public relations over compliance with lawful court processes,” the filing states.
“Such behavior raises serious concerns that the Defendant will comply with court orders only when it suits him, rather than out of respect for judicial authority or the rule of law.”
Busfield is currently being held without bail, according to jail records.
The criminal complaint filed by Marvin Kirk Brown with the police department says two children, 11-year-old twin brothers, reported that Busfield touched them inappropriately on the set of The Cleaning Lady, a TV series Busfield directed and acted in.
One of the children said the first incident happened when he was seven years old, and that Busfield touched him three or four times. Busfield is accused of touching him five or six times on another occasion when he was eight. The boy said he touched him in his “private areas.”
The child’s mother reported to Child Protective Services that the abuse occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024, the complaint said. She alleged that her children “were groomed and sexually abused by Timothy,” the complaint said.
Busfield denied the allegations when interviewed by authorities last fall as part of an investigation, according to the complaint.
—With files from The Associated Press
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