Judge Releases Timothy Busfield Pending Trial as Defense Cites Parents’ Fraud History and Alleged Financial Motive
Timothy Busfield, the actor and director, surrendered in New Mexico and was charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse over allegations that he touched one of twin boys multiple times on the set of Fox’s The Cleaning Lady between November 2022 and spring 2024; prosecutors pointed to medical findings, therapy disclosures, a separate past allegation from an audition and what they describe as a pattern of grooming. His attorneys say a Warner Bros. probe failed to corroborate the claims, that Busfield passed an independent polygraph, and they allege the twins’ parents — including the father, a disbarred former attorney who pleaded guilty in a 2017 federal fraud case — have a history of dishonesty and a financial or retaliatory motive; Judge David Murphy ordered Busfield released on supervised release with conditions, including no contact with the alleged victims and permission to return home outside New Mexico.
📌 Key Facts
- Timothy Busfield has been charged in New Mexico with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor (and was initially booked after surrender), triggering a criminal case and pretrial proceedings.
- The criminal complaint alleges abuse on the set of Fox’s The Cleaning Lady between November 2022 and spring 2024: one twin reported Busfield touched him on private areas over his clothing three to four times at age 7 and five to six times at age 8; the second twin said Busfield touched him but did not specify where.
- A doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital contacted police in November 2024, prompting the investigation; one of the children has been diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety and reports recurrent nightmares about Busfield.
- Warner Bros. conducted an internal investigation and said it could not corroborate the abuse allegations; the studio has stated it takes misconduct claims seriously and is cooperating with law enforcement.
- Prosecutors moved to keep Busfield detained pending trial, arguing the allegations are supported by medical findings, therapy disclosures and an alleged decades‑long pattern of misconduct and grooming; they also disclosed a separate allegation that Busfield kissed and inappropriately touched a then‑16‑year‑old during an audition years earlier.
- Busfield’s defense says the accusers’ parents are 'stage parents' with a documented history of fraud and dishonesty — naming father Ronald Rodis as a disbarred former attorney who pleaded guilty in 2017 to federal mortgage‑fraud charges — and argues the abuse claims surfaced after the twins lost roles on the show, creating an alleged financial or retaliatory motive.
- Defense counsel publicized that Busfield passed an independent polygraph and introduced audio from the boys’ initial police interviews in which they said they were not touched on private areas; prosecutors criticized Busfield’s pre‑surrender public statements (a TMZ video) as seeking narrative control.
- After prosecutors sought detention and an initial judge ordered him held without bond, Judge David Murphy later ordered Busfield released on his own recognizance under Albuquerque pretrial supervision with conditions (no firearms, no drugs, no contact with the alleged victims) and allowed him to leave New Mexico; his wife, Melissa Gilbert, attended the hearing and was listed as a potential witness.
📰 Source Timeline (10)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 22, 2026
2:00 PM
Timothy Busfield's defense blames 'stage parents' with fraud history for child sex abuse charges
New information:
- Defense filing labels the accusers’ parents as 'stage parents' with a 'well-documented history of fraud and dishonesty' and an 'obvious financial and retaliatory motive' tied to the twins losing their TV roles.
- Lawyers detail that father Ronald Rodis is a disbarred former attorney who pleaded guilty in 2017 to federal conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in a multimillion‑dollar mortgage‑modification scheme and served a 41‑month sentence.
- Defense attorney Amber Fayerberg told the court the twins were 'victimized by their own parents,' accusing the couple of taking 85% of the boys’ TV income and then 'manufactur[ing]' abuse claims as revenge.
- The article reiterates that hospital professionals told the parents the boys showed signs of being 'groomed,' underscoring the state’s evidence narrative the defense is trying to undermine.
January 21, 2026
12:38 AM
Timothy Busfield ordered released from jail pending trial in child sex abuse
New information:
- Judge David Murphy denied prosecutors’ bid to keep Busfield detained and ordered him released on his own recognizance under pretrial supervision.
- Busfield will be supervised by pretrial services in Albuquerque but is allowed to leave New Mexico to live at home, subject to conditions including no firearms, no drugs, and no contact with the alleged victims.
- The hearing featured argument from prosecutor Savannah Brandenburg-Koch that the boys’ allegations are supported by medical findings, their therapist, and an alleged decades‑long pattern of misconduct and grooming behavior by Busfield.
- Defense counsel introduced audio clips of the boys’ initial police interviews in which they said Busfield did not touch them in private areas, and argued that the complaint mischaracterized those denials as mere failure to disclose abuse.
- Melissa Gilbert attended the hearing, was tearful after the ruling, and is listed as a potential witness on pre‑hearing filings.
12:29 AM
New Mexico judge orders release of actor Timothy Busfield from jail pending child sex abuse case
New information:
- Confirms the hearing occurred Tuesday and that Judge David Murphy formally ordered supervised release, explicitly finding prosecutors had not proved that no conditions could protect public safety.
- Adds detailed on-record reasoning from Judge Murphy, including his emphasis on the lack of prior similar allegations, Busfield’s self-surrender, and his conclusion that those facts show compliance with court authority.
- Reports that Busfield’s wife, actor Melissa Gilbert, was present in court, was listed as a potential witness, and was visibly emotional upon the judge’s decision to release him.
- Describes the competing narratives presented at the hearing: the prosecutor highlighting therapy disclosures, medical findings and a 'pattern' of abuse versus the defense pointing to initial police audio where the boys said they were not touched on private areas.
- Clarifies that Busfield will be supervised by Albuquerque pretrial services but permitted to leave New Mexico to return home.
January 17, 2026
5:47 AM
Actor Timothy Busfield's attorneys say an investigation undermines state's child sex abuse charges
New information:
- Busfield’s attorneys formally asked the New Mexico court to release him pending trial, arguing that an independent Warner Bros. investigation found the allegations unfounded and prosecutors omitted that from their complaint.
- The defense claims the parents of the accusing twins have a documented history of fraud and dishonesty and argue the abuse claims only surfaced after the boys lost their roles on the show, creating what they say is a financial or retaliatory motive.
- Busfield’s team says he passed a polygraph test, and notes New Mexico is one of the few states where polygraph evidence can sometimes be admitted, subject to a judge’s discretion and strict requirements.
January 15, 2026
1:00 PM
Timothy Busfield’s lie detector offer is ‘public relations stunt’ as he faces child sex abuse charges: expert
New information:
- Confirms that Judge Felicia Blea-Rivera ordered Timothy Busfield held without bond at his first appearance and set a Jan. 29 deadline for a preliminary hearing.
- Details that Busfield’s defense publicized an independent polygraph test the actor purportedly passed, which legal experts in the piece characterize as a PR move with no legal weight in court.
- Provides expert explanation from former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani and Fox News legal contributor Donna Rotunno that no-bail detention is common in multi-victim, minor sex-crime cases and that judges focus on flight risk and danger to the community, not polygraph results.
- Clarifies that the defense is expected to seek release later and challenge probable cause at the preliminary hearing after reviewing discovery.
January 14, 2026
10:33 PM
Timothy Busfield makes court appearance in child sex abuse case
New information:
- Busfield made his first court appearance in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court a day after turning himself in on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse.
- Prosecutors filed a motion to keep him in custody pending trial, arguing no combination of release conditions can protect victims or the community and citing research on offenders who wield authority and status.
- Deputy DA Savannah Brandenburg-Koch disclosed a new allegation from a father who says Busfield kissed and inappropriately touched his then‑16‑year‑old daughter during an audition at B Street Theatre in Sacramento several years ago and allegedly pleaded with the family not to report it if he obtained therapy.
- The prosecution’s motion characterizes Busfield’s behavior as a documented pattern of sexual misconduct, abuse of authority and grooming over two decades, and notes witnesses’ fears of retaliation and professional harm.
- Prosecutors criticized Busfield for releasing a video to TMZ asserting his innocence before surrendering, framing it as prioritizing narrative control over court compliance, while Busfield’s lawyer says he took and passed an independent polygraph contesting the current allegations.
January 13, 2026
10:08 PM
Actor Timothy Busfield turns himself in following child sex abuse allegations
New information:
- Albuquerque police confirm Timothy Busfield surrendered on Tuesday and was booked into the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center on a child sex abuse charge tied to two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor.
- The criminal complaint details that one twin reported Busfield touched him on private areas over his clothing three or four times at age 7 and five or six times at age 8 on the set of Fox’s 'The Cleaning Lady.'
- The second twin told authorities Busfield touched him but did not specify where; one child has since been diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety and reports nightmares about Busfield touching him.
- Busfield, in a video to TMZ, calls the allegations 'all lies' and suggests the boys’ mother is retaliating because her children were replaced on the series, while acknowledging he may have picked up and tickled the boys in what he describes as a 'playful' set environment.
- Warner Bros.’ internal investigation into the allegations reportedly could not corroborate the abuse claims, and Busfield’s wife Melissa Gilbert has deactivated her Instagram and, through a publicist, says she is supporting him but will not speak publicly while the legal process unfolds.
2:43 PM
US Marshals seek Timothy Busfield after child sex abuse allegations
New information:
- Albuquerque Police Department confirms it is now working with the U.S. Marshals Service to locate and arrest Timothy Busfield, with Marshals taking a lead fugitive‑investigation role.
- APD spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos says there is no timeline yet for getting Busfield into custody.
- Warner Bros. Television issued a statement saying it takes misconduct allegations seriously, has internal systems to investigate and act when needed, and is cooperating with law enforcement.
- The article reiterates that Busfield’s wife, actress Melissa Gilbert, deleted her Instagram account after news of the warrant, underscoring fallout in his personal and professional circles.
January 10, 2026
7:29 PM
Actor Timothy Busfield faces child sex abuse charge in New Mexico
New information:
- The alleged abuse occurred on the set of Fox series 'The Cleaning Lady,' which Busfield directed and acted in.
- The complaint states the child reported Busfield touched him three or four times when he was 7 and five or six times when he was 8.
- The alleged abuse timeframe is specified as between November 2022 and spring 2024.
- A doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital contacted police in November 2024, prompting the investigation.
- The child has been diagnosed with post‑traumatic stress disorder and anxiety and reports recurrent nightmares about Busfield touching him.
- Warner Bros. conducted its own investigation into the allegations but reported being unable to corroborate them.
- The warrant charges Busfield with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor.