Timothy Busfield indicted by grand jury in child sex abuse case
A grand jury has indicted actor Timothy Busfield on child sex abuse contact charges after his arrest last month in New Mexico, according to officials.
Busfield is facing multiple counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, according to Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman.
"District Attorney Sam Bregman emphasized that protecting children remains a top priority for his office. The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office remains committed to doing everything possible to protect children and ensure justice for victims," the district attorney's office said in a statement Friday.
The "West Wing" actor was arrested in January and ordered released by a judge.
The charges against Busfield stem from accusations that he inappropriately touched a child actor on the set of the TV show "The Cleaning Lady," which was filmed in Albuquerque, according to a criminal complaint.
The actor has not entered a plea but denied the allegations when interviewed by investigators, according to the criminal complaint.
An attorney for Busfield said the indictment was "not unexpected," in a statement to ABC News.
"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," Larry Stein, an attorney for Busfield, said in a statement after the indictment Friday.
He added, "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."
Busfield turned himself in to authorities last month and was being held with no bond. After an hours-long detention hearing, Judge David Murphy ordered his release on his own recognizance pending trial, citing his lack of criminal history, compliance with the court order for his arrest and the evidence in the case so far.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
