Is Timothy Busfield in Jail? 5 Things to Know About the Actor's Court Case and Charges

Timothy Busfield is at the center of an ongoing child sexual abuse case involving two boys who appeared on The Cleaning Lady.

According to a criminal complaint, the children's parents accused the Emmy-winning actor of touching the boys multiple times on the set of the Fox series, where Busfield worked as an actor and director. The incidents allegedly took place between November 2022 and spring 2024, per the legal documents.

Here's everything to know about the case so far, including whether Busfield is currently in jail.

While Busfield turned himself in to authorities on January 13, he is not currently in jail.

As OK! reported, Busfield was charged with two counts of sexual contact of a minor and child abuse months after the investigation began in November 2024, when a physician at the University of New Mexico Hospital alerted authorities to the alleged abuse.

The Albuquerque Police Department issued an arrest warrant on January 9 in connection with allegations involving 11-year-old twin brothers. One of the boys alleged the abuse began when he was just 7 years old, while one minor claimed Busfield touched him inappropriately on set when he was 8 years old.

Their parents told police "that they both discovered that there were allegations against Timothy of sexual assault against both women and minors," and Busfield allegedly "grew closer to the boys."

Per the warrant, the children's father discovered "there had been multiple rumors that Timothy had been 'handsy' with women."

When the mother asked her sons if anyone had ever touched them in a manner that made them uncomfortable, one of the children reportedly responded, "You mean like Uncle Tim (Busfield)?"

"[Officer Marvin Kirk Brown] asked Timothy if he ever had any physical contact with these boys and if he ever picked them up and tickled them," the warrant read. "Timothy said it was highly likely that he would have."

The boys' mother filed a police report in October 2025 and told Child Protective Services that "her children both disclosed that there was sexual abuse by Timothy from around November 2022 to Spring 2024."

On January 13, APD confirmed the U.S. Marshals had joined to effort to locate Busfield after authorities issued a warrant for his arrest. The Revenge of the Nerds actor turned himself in around 2:30 p.m. that day, and he was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque.

"He wants to turn himself in because he wants to clear his name and reputation," Busfield's attorney, Larry Stein, said at the time. "He didn't do anything wrong. These accusations are false as the investigator from the independent law firm found."

At the time, Busfield faced a second allegation, accusing him of groping a 16-year-old girl who was auditioning for a theater program in Sacramento, Calif., several years earlier.

Busfield made his first court appearance on January 14 before a judge in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, wearing an orange jail jumpsuit and shackles.

He was released one week later after Bernalillo County District Court Judge David A. Murphy ruled at a hearing that Busfield could be freed pending further proceedings on the child sexual abuse charges.

A source told an outlet the court hearing was "obviously very emotional and stressful."

"Things are clearly far from over, but the main focus of getting Tim out of jail was accomplished. They're both very grateful. Melissa [Gilbert, Busfield's wife] has been sick with worry that something would happen to him in jail," the insider continued.

The same source revealed the couple was "very involved" with Busfield's legal team amid the case, adding, "They have this huge group of friends that support and check in on them every day. Melissa is very grateful for the support. She'll be attending all the court hearings with Tim. She believes he's innocent."

On February 6, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman announced a grand jury in New Mexico inducted Busfield on four child sexual abuse charges.

"As with all criminal proceedings, Mr. Busfield is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law," the district attorney said in a statement. "This case will proceed through the judicial process and is expected to move forward to trial. The Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office remains committed to doing everything possible to protect children and ensure justice for victims."

Stein responded in a statement to Deadline, saying, "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 attorney continued. "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."

According to the June 18 motion obtained by USA Today, Busfield is asking a New Mexico court to dismiss his indictment in the child sexual abuse case. In the filed documents, he argued that prosecutors misrepresented the law to jurors and failed to present a fair, impartial case.

"The state has abdicated its role of administering justice and instead pursued an indictment against Mr. Busfield at the cost of evidence, Mr. Busfield's rights, and the independence and integrity of the grand jury," the filing stated.

After Busfield's January arrest, Gilbert released a statement through her publicist, saying the former child actress "is honoring the request of Tim's lawyers not to speak publicly while the legal process unfolds."

"During this period, her focus is on supporting and caring for their very large family, as they navigate this moment," the statement continued. "Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time. We ask that their privacy be respected."

She then broke her silence when she reflected on the "extraordinarily difficult time" in a January 26 Instagram post.

Then, in an interview with Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos, Gilbert called Busfield's case the "most traumatizing experience of [their] lives."

"Our life as we knew it is done," she said, adding, "We are grieving what we had — all of our plans, all of our dreams, all of our ideas, all of our projects. For Tim, it's done. He's canceled."

The Little House on the Prairie star said her husband "will always be that guy" who was accused of assaulting a minor "even if he's exonerated."

"[He's] the last person in the world who would hurt a child," she pointed out. "And believe me, if I thought for a second that Tim Busfield hurt a child, he'd have a lot more to worry about than prison."

On June 22, Gilbert announced she moved out of her New York City apartment, though she did not disclose the reasons.