Timothy Busfield, a 68-year-old actor recognized for his role as Danny Concannon on the acclaimed series The West Wing, has been charged with serious allegations of child sexual abuse. The Albuquerque Police Department issued an arrest warrant detailing two counts of criminal sexual contact with minors and one count of child abuse. The allegations involve two 11-year-old twins, with one claiming that inappropriate conduct began when he was just 7 years old.
An investigation commenced on November 1, 2024, after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital reported potential sexual abuse. The warrant indicates that the twins, who were child actors, met Busfield while he was directing episodes of the Fox series The Cleaning Lady, which aired from 2022 to 2025. It is alleged that Busfield developed a close relationship with the boys, who referred to him as “Uncle Tim.”
Concerned, the boys’ parents confronted the situation after hearing rumors about Busfield’s past behavior. They later took their sons to the hospital, where professionals suggested the children may have been groomed. Although the twins initially did not disclose any sexual contact, they mentioned that Busfield would tickle them, which raised red flags for their parents.
On October 3, 2025, the boys’ mother filed a police report stating that her children disclosed abuse that occurred from late 2022 to spring 2024. One of the twins revealed to his counselor that Busfield had touched him inappropriately. A therapist later diagnosed him with moderate post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, linking these issues to his experiences with Busfield.
The warrant further states that the mother observed a change in on-set practices after Busfield’s hiring, noting that crew members who previously provided iPads to parents for monitoring their children stopped doing so. During the investigation, Busfield claimed that the parents were upset about their children being replaced with younger actors. He acknowledged being aware of the allegations when contacted by Warner Bros., who were conducting an internal investigation.
Busfield maintained that any physical interactions were playful and appropriate, stating, “There would never be a weird moment about it.” He also mentioned his social relationship with the boys and their family, which included sharing gifts and attending gatherings outside of work.
The investigation revealed troubling details about on-set supervision. A production assistant reported that one of the alleged victims would often be unsupervised, raising concerns about Busfield having opportunities to engage in inappropriate behavior. The warrant includes testimony from an individual who claimed to have witnessed an incident where Busfield allegedly kissed a minor on the face while in a hair and make-up trailer in December 2024.
According to the warrant, law enforcement officials noted that Busfield’s behavior matched patterns of grooming, where abusers establish trust with families while simultaneously violating the children. The officer’s statement emphasized how this method complicates the detection of abuse, allowing it to persist undetected for extended periods.
Furthermore, the warrant references prior allegations against Busfield dating back to 1994, although details of those claims remain unclear. As of now, Timothy Busfield has not publicly addressed the current charges against him.
