New Mexico judge dismisses child sex abuse charges against Timothy Busfield

A New Mexico judge on Friday dismissed an indictment on child sexual abuse charges against actor Timothy Busfield, UPI and Fox News reported. District Court Judge Joseph Montano ruled that prosecutors failed to act in a fair and impartial manner. [1][2]

Busfield had been indicted by a grand jury in February on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child, according to UPI and Fox News. The charges stemmed from accusations of groping on the set of the Fox television series The Cleaning Lady, on which Busfield worked as an actor and director between 2022 and 2024. UPI said the allegations involved twin boys, while Variety reported the charge involved groping a 7-year-old boy. [1][2][5]

Judge Montano stated in his ruling that the prosecuting attorney failed to maintain impartiality, with the Daily Mail reporting that the judge found prosecutors had improperly withheld witnesses during the grand jury proceedings. [1][2][6]

Busfield played Arnold Poindexter in Revenge of the Nerds, Mark in Field of Dreams, Elliot Weston on Thirtysomething, and Danny Concannon on The West Wing. He won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1991 for his role on Thirtysomething. [12][14]

The dismissal permits prosecutors to refile the charges against Busfield in the future, according to Fox News. [2]