Timothy Busfield Vanishes Three Days After Arrest Warrant As He Admits It Is Highly Likely He Touched Kids

Timothy Busfield has reportedly been missing for three days after an arrest warrant was issued for him in Albuquerque, New Mexico in connection with an alleged child sex abuse probe. The 68-year-old 'The West Wing' actor allegedly engaged in sexual misconduct involving 11-year-old twin boys.

According to Hello! magazine, it is impossible to apprehend Busfield at this time because he is nowhere to be found after the warrant for his arrest was released. Currently, the US Marshals Service jumped in to help the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) in locating the Emmy-winning actor.

Nationwide Manhunt for Timothy Busfield

The artist is now considered a fugitive since he failed to surrender to the authorities in Albuquerque, where his arrest warrant was issued on Friday, 9 January 2026. The warrant alleges inappropriate conduct involving children on the filming set of The Cleaning Lady in 2024, where Timothy was a director. However, such a claim has not been proven yet, so no conviction has been made against him as of this time.

APD confirmed on Tuesday this week that the US Marshals Service is officially on board to find him quickly. Investigators have not said whether they believe Busfield is actively evading arrest or whether another factor explains his disappearance, but the involvement of federal agents suggests the search may have extended beyond New Mexico.

Busfield Admitted to 'Touching' the Kids on Set

New details obtained from his warrant have emerged, intensifying the interest in the case. It was reported that the missing actor-director admitted in his November 2025 interview with detectives that it was 'highly likely' he had physical contact with the children, although he stressed that there were no specific rules on set regarding physical interactions between adults and child actors.

US Weekly reported that Officer Marvin Brown questioned Timothy Busfield about whether he ever had any physical contact with the twin boys involved in the complaint. He reportedly responded by saying it was 'highly likely that he would have' as the set has a 'playful environment.'

'I mean, I'm always around people, right? It would be, you know, in front of the parents. There would never be a weird moment about it,' Busfield told the office during the interview. 'I don't really remember picking those boys up. I remember picking up the boy who followed them. I'd pick him up and he'd be giggling and that would sort of get him ready to act.'

He also said he has no memory of 'overtly tickling the boys ever' but admitted that tickling a child is something he usually does. For the protocols on the set, Busfield explained they don't really like parents having iPads to monitor their children while at work. It was not even a standard procedure, but pointed out that the kids were never alone on set because their teacher, parent, or a welfare worker would always be present at the workplace.

The Legal Case: A Breakdown of the Charges Facing The Actor

If and when he is located, Busfield is expected to be taken into custody for questioning. The warrant indicates he faces two counts of criminal misconduct involving a minor, with one count relating to each of the twins.

He is accused of inappropriately touching one of the boys on three or four occasions, and the other on five or six occasions. One of the children reportedly told police he felt 'very afraid' of Busfield on the set of The Cleaning Lady but did not speak up initially because he feared angering 'Uncle Tim', the nickname the boys allegedly used for the director.

Inside the Events That Sparked the Investigation Into Busfield

The probe started in November 2024 when a doctor from the University of New Mexico Hospital reported an alleged sexual abuse to the police. It was reported that parents of the twins also told authorities that their minor children met Busfield on the set of 'The Cleaning Lady' and they often call him 'Uncle Tim.'

Staff at the hospital reportedly raised concerns that the boys may have been 'groomed,' but when checked with the Crimes Against Children Unit at that time, it was determined the case had no basis to be accepted under CACU. This is because after speaking with the children, they did not report or mention any sexual contact in the initial interviews. Meanwhile, in response to the claims, Timothy Busfield said the twins' mom just wanted revenge because he replaced her kids with different actors.