A prominent Hollywood presence has been indicted on a litany of gruesome allegations.
According to KRQE TVactor, producer and director Timothy Busfield was indicted by a New Mexico grand jury on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child.
Busfield, 68, allegedly touched two boys inappropriately while on set for “The Cleaning Lady,” which was filmed in Albuquerque.
Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman confirmed the news in a Friday Facebook post.
“Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman announced today that a Bernalillo County grand jury has indicted Timothy Busfield,” the post said.
“As in all criminal proceedings, Mr. Busfield is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law,” Bregman’s post said. “This case will go through the legal process and is expected to go to trial.
“The case will be prosecuted by the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office Special Victims Unit. District Attorney Sam Bregman emphasized that protecting children remains a top priority for his office.
“The Bernalillo County Prosecutor’s Office remains committed to doing everything possible to protect children and ensure justice for victims.”
The message ended with a blunt statement: “No further information will be released at this time.”
According to the complaint obtained by KRQE, one of the minors told a forensic interviewer that Busfield inappropriately touched him several times while they were on set, starting when the child was seven years old.
The boy said the contact occurred between scenes and estimated it happened five or six times. He later reported that similar behavior continued the following year, when he was eight, and said it occurred three or four more times.
Investigators also heard from a second child, who said Busfield also touched him. That child did not allege the same type of contact or location, according to the complaint.
An arrest warrant was issued for Busfield in early January.
While Busfield eventually turned himself in, he did so after recording a video proclaiming his innocence.
“I’m going to face these lies. They’re horrible. They’re all lies, and I didn’t do anything to those little boys, and I’m going to fight them,” Busfield said in the video.
Busfield’s attorney, Stanton “Larry” Stein, issued a statement to KRQE claiming the prosecution’s case is weak.
“The charges were not unexpected,” Stein’s statement said. “As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich.
“What is deeply concerning is that the prosecutor is choosing to proceed with a case that is fundamentally flawed and cannot be proven at trial.
“The detention hearing exposed fatal weaknesses in the State’s evidence – gaps that no indictment can address.
“This prosecution appears to be motivated 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 – and not behind closed doors.”
Busfield has a significant one IMDb profile, with acting credits dating back to 1981, including the political drama “The West Wing” (28 episodes from 1999-2006), sitcom “Thirtysomething” (85 episodes in 1987-91) and a number of media projects as both director and producer.
He has received numerous nominations and won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1991 for “Thirtysomething.”
This article originally appeared on The Western Journal.
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