Timothy Busfield’s Whereabouts Unknown as U.S. Marshals Join Search After Arrest Warrant Issued

 

Timothy Busfield’s Whereabouts Unknown as U.S. Marshals Join Search After Arrest Warrant Issued

The U.S. Marshals Service has stepped in to help locate Timothy Busfield after an arrest warrant was issued for the actor by the Albuquerque Police Department (APD), alleging that he engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with 11-year-old twin boys.

APD confirmed to PEOPLE that they are working with the U.S. Marshals Service to locate and arrest Busfield. 68. The U.S. Marshals Service did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Asked by PEOPLE if Busfield had been located, detained or arrested at this point, an APD spokesperson responded, "Not that I am aware."

In the warrant from the APD, obtained by PEOPLE, Officer Marvin Brown alleged that two boys, 11-year-old twins whose identities were withheld from the public, were the subject of sex crimes by Busfield. One of the minors alleged that the incidents began when he was 7 years old, per the arrest warrant.

Busfield is married to Melissa Gilbert. The West Wing actor and Little House on the Prairie star, 61, married in 2013.

Timothy Busfield.

Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage

An investigation into Busfield, who is also a prolific TV director, began in November 2024, after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) alerted police about alleged sexual abuse, the warrant said.

The victims' parents told Brown that the minors were child actors who met Busfield on the set of the FOX series The Cleaning Lady, where he served as a director. The television show ran from January 2022 until June 2025.

The parents were advised by an attorney to take the children to UNMH, where they said professionals suggested the boys "were groomed," per the warrant. It was later determined, however, that the case did not meet authorities' acceptance criteria at the time.

Later, in October 2025, the victims' mother filed a police report and told Child Protective Services (CPS) that “her children both disclosed that there was sexual abuse by Timothy from around November 2022 to Spring 2024."

However, according to the warrant, she was told that because physical abuse had not occurred, nothing could be done.

Melissa Gilbert (left) and Timothy Busfield (right) in 2023.

Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty

During an investigation, Busfield allegedly told police that the parents were upset their sons had been replaced with a younger actor who auditioned, according to the warrant.

Shortly after, the actor got a call from Warner Bros., informing him they were investigating a complaint.

Weeks before her husband's arrest warrant was issued, Gilbert spoke out about child sex abuse in a social media post.

In November, Gilbert shared a throwback photo of herself and reflected on her Little House on the Prairie experience, when she filmed with an older love interest. She did not allege any improper behavior by the actor.

Gilbert shared the reflective post after Megyn Kelly made comments about convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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