Timothy Busfield indicted by grand jury for criminal sexual contact with a minor
SEVEN NEWS AT TEN STARTS RIGHT NOW. WE START TONIGHT WITH A SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT IN THE HIGH PROFILE CASE INVOLVING ACTOR AND DIRECTOR TIMOTHY BUSFIELD. THE 68 YEAR OLD HAS NOW BEEN INDICTED BY A GRAND JURY ON FOUR COUNTS OF CHILD SEX CRIMES. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE ALLEGED ABUSE HAPPENED ON THE SET OF THE CLEANING LADY WHILE IT WAS FILMING HERE IN ALBUQUERQUE. ALIYAH CHAVEZ SHOWS US THE NEW COURT DOCUMENTS. WHAT A GRAND JURY INDICTMENT MEANS AND WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. YEAH, SHELLY, WE LEARNED ABOUT THIS INDICTMENT BY BERNALILLO COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAM BREGMAN, WHOSE OFFICE IS BRINGING THE CHARGES AFTER THEY POSTED ABOUT IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. IT’S BEEN A CASE THAT’S DRAWN A LOT OF ATTENTION. TIMOTHY BUSFIELD NOW FACES FOUR COUNTS OF CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONTACT OF A MINOR INVOLVING A CHILD UNDER 13. NEW COURT DOCUMENTS ALLEGING BUSFIELD SEXUALLY ABUSED A CHILD ACTOR, SAYING IT FIRST STARTED IN OCTOBER 2022 WHEN HE ALLEGEDLY TOUCHED THE CHILD’S PRIVATE PARTS AND THEN HAPPENED AGAIN A YEAR LATER, ALL THIRD DEGREE FELONIES, AND THAT THE OLD CHARGES NO LONGER COUNT. THESE ARE THE CHARGES. HE NOW FACES, A GRAND JURY MADE UP OF 12 PEOPLE, ALL EVERYDAY CITIZENS IN BERNALILLO COUNTY WERE PRESENTED WITH EVIDENCE. A MAJORITY OF THOSE PEOPLE FINDING PROBABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE THAT BUSFIELD COMMITTED THESE CRIMES IF CONVICTED. SO HE’S LOOKING AT A MAXIMUM 12 YEARS IN PRISON, $20,000 IN FINES. THESE CRIMES ALLEGEDLY HAPPENING ON THE SET OF THE CLEANING LADY, WHICH WAS SHOT IN ALBUQUERQUE. PROSECUTORS LIKELY PRESENTING THE GRAND JURORS WITH EVIDENCE ALREADY MADE PUBLIC, PLUS OTHERS THAT WE HAVEN’T SEEN. IT’S RUN BY THE PROSECUTORS AND THE DEFENSE DOESN’T GET TO PARTICIPATE. IF TIMOTHY BUSFIELD WANTED TO TESTIFY, HE COULD HAVE, BUT THAT’S VERY RARE. BUZZFEED’S LEGAL TEAM, WEIGHING IN, HIS ATTORNEY TELLING KOAT IN PART, THIS INDICTMENT WAS NOT UNEXPECTED. WHAT IS DEEPLY CONCERNING IS THAT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS CHOOSING TO PROCEED ON A CASE THAT IS FUNDAMENTALLY UNSOUND AND CANNOT BE PROVEN AT TRIAL. THIS PROSECUTION APPEARS DRIVEN BY SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE FACTS OR THE LAW, ADDING THAT BUSFIELD WILL FIGHT THE CHARGES, MAINTAINING THE 68 YEAR OLD’S INNOCENCE JUST AS HE HAS IN THE PAST. THEY’RE HORRIBLE. THEY’RE ALL LIES AND I DID NOT DO ANYTHING TO THOSE LITTLE BOYS, DA SAYS. BUZZFEED’S TEAM HAD HOPED THERE WOULD BE NO INDICTMENT, BUT NOW THE DEFENSE WILL GET AN AUDIO RECORDING OF THE GRAND JURY PROCEEDINGS AND BEGIN CHALLENGING WHAT PROSECUTORS PRESENTED, WHETHER THE CASE GOT STRONGER. SINCE THEN, WE’LL FIND OUT. BUT BUSFIELD AND HIS PEOPLE ARE PUSHING BACK, SAYING THAT THESE CHARGES ARE MANUFACTURED. IT DIDN’T HAPPEN. PROSECUTION SAYS WE BELIEVE IT DID. AND UP NEXT, BUZZFEED IS EXPECTED TO RETURN TO ALBUQUERQUE TO ENTER A NOT GUILTY PLEA. HIS NEXT COURT DATE HAS NOT BEEN SCHEDULED YET. REPORTING. I’M ALIYAH CHAVEZ KOAT. ACTION 7 NEWS WAS ARRESTED IN JANUARY AFTER TURNING HIMSELF
Timothy Busfield indicted by grand jury for criminal sexual contact with a minor
Actor and director Timothy Busfield has been indicted by a grand jury in Bernalillo County District Court on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor. Busfield now faces charges of third-degree felonies, with new court documents alleging he sexually abused a child actor, starting in October 2022, by touching the child’s private parts, and that it happened again starting a year later. A grand jury, consisting of 12 everyday citizens, found probable cause to believe Busfield committed these crimes. If convicted, he could face a maximum of 12 years in prison and $20,000 in fines, according to KOAT legal expert John Day.>>> Case Timeline: Court documents detail child sex abuse investigationBusfield’s attorney Larry Stein told KOAT in a statement: “The indictment was not unexpected. As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich. What is deeply concerning is that the District Attorney is choosing to proceed on a case that is fundamentally unsound and cannot be proven at trial. The detention hearing exposed fatal weaknesses in the State’s evidence — gaps that no amount of charging decisions can cure. This prosecution appears driven by something other than the facts or the law. Mr. Busfield will fight these charges at every stage and looks forward to testing the State’s case in open court — where evidence matters — not behind closed doors.”The alleged abuse occurring on the set of “The Cleaning Lady” while filming in Albuquerque.Following the investigation, Albuquerque police issued an arrest warrant for Busfield, who later turned himself into police. Busfield was booked into the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center and was later released with pre-trial supervision after a judge denied a pretrial detention effort by the district attorney.Busfield’s next court date has not yet been scheduled.
Actor and director Timothy Busfield has been indicted by a grand jury in Bernalillo County District Court on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor.
Busfield now faces charges of third-degree felonies, with new court documents alleging he sexually abused a child actor, starting in October 2022, by touching the child’s private parts, and that it happened again starting a year later.
A grand jury, consisting of 12 everyday citizens, found probable cause to believe Busfield committed these crimes. If convicted, he could face a maximum of 12 years in prison and $20,000 in fines, according to KOAT legal expert John Day.
>>> Case Timeline: Court documents detail child sex abuse investigation
Busfield’s attorney Larry Stein told KOAT in a statement: “The indictment was not unexpected. As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich. What is deeply concerning is that the District Attorney is choosing to proceed on a case that is fundamentally unsound and cannot be proven at trial. The detention hearing exposed fatal weaknesses in the State’s evidence — gaps that no amount of charging decisions can cure. This prosecution appears driven by something other than the facts or the law. Mr. Busfield will fight these charges at every stage and looks forward to testing the State’s case in open court — where evidence matters — not behind closed doors.”
The alleged abuse occurring on the set of “The Cleaning Lady” while filming in Albuquerque.
Following the investigation, Albuquerque police issued an arrest warrant for Busfield, who later turned himself into police.
Busfield was booked into the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center and was later released with pre-trial supervision after a judge denied a pretrial detention effort by the district attorney.
Busfield’s next court date has not yet been scheduled.
