News | Entertainment
24 Feb 2026 19:26
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Timothy Busfield has pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal sexual contact of a minor and child abuse

    The 68-year-old actor - who is married to Little House On The Prairie actress Melissa Gilbert - was indicted by a grand jury on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child on February 6 and four days later, he pleaded not guilty.


    According to PEOPLE, the not-guilty plea entry was filed in New Mexico's Second Judicial District Court.

    He also requested to waive his arraignment and appearances in court for all pretrial proceedings, which Judge Joseph Montano granted.

    According to court documents obtained by TMZ, the initial witness list put together by state prosecutors "includes four people who have previously accused the actor of sexual misconduct".

    Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman previously announced the indictment and said in a statement: "As with all criminal proceedings, Mr. Busfield is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. This case will proceed through the judicial process and is expected to move forward to trial."

    The Special Victims Unit of the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office will be prosecutors on the case, per the statement, and Bregman insisted that "protecting children remains a top priority for his office".

    He went on to say: "The Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office remains committed to doing everything possible to protect children and ensure justice for victims across New Mexico."

    Busfield's civil attorney Larry Stein said the "indictment was not unexpected".

    He went on: "As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich. 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. 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."

    The West Wing actor Busfield turned himself in and was booked by authorities on January 13, just four days after the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) issued a warrant for his arrest.

    The warrant came after it was alleged that he engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with 11-year-old twin boys.

    On January 20, the Field of Dreams actor was released with conditions while awaiting trial.

    The conditions include that he is not allowed to possess any firearms or dangerous weapons, consume any alcohol or illegal drugs, have contact with the alleged victims or their families, discuss the case with any witnesses or have unsupervised contact with any minor children.

    Busfield has denied all the charges, saying in a video obtained by TMZ: "I did not do anything. They're all lies and I did not do anything to those little boys and I'm gonna fight it. I'm gonna fight it with a great team, and I'm gonna be exonerated, I know I am, because this is all so wrong and all lies."

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     24 Feb: Kurt Russell is happy to still be alive ahead of his milestone birthday
     24 Feb: Sterling K. Brown's teenage son will never admit his dad is cool - despite secretly thinking it
     24 Feb: Scott and Kelley Wolf are "healing" after a difficult few months
     24 Feb: Judy Greer has "carried [Jennifer Garner] through the last 20 years
     24 Feb: Eric Dane's friends have launched a GoFundMe for his daughters
     24 Feb: Gabourey Sidibe's husband Brandon Frankel has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer
     24 Feb: Liza Minnelli claims she was "ordered" to use a wheelchair when presenting with Lady Gaga at the 2022 Academy Awards
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Crusaders captain David Havili insists his side can dig a way out of their early Super Rugby hole More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Auckland's been crowned the region with the worst savers, according to Westpac data More...



     Today's News

    Entertainment:
    Kurt Russell is happy to still be alive ahead of his milestone birthday 19:21

    Business:
    Auckland's been crowned the region with the worst savers, according to Westpac data 18:57

    Entertainment:
    Sterling K. Brown's teenage son will never admit his dad is cool - despite secretly thinking it 18:51

    Rugby:
    Crusaders captain David Havili insists his side can dig a way out of their early Super Rugby hole 18:37

    Entertainment:
    Scott and Kelley Wolf are "healing" after a difficult few months 18:21

    National:
    Cuba has survived 66 years of US-led embargoes. Will Trump’s blockade break it now? 18:17

    Hockey:
    Kash Patel and US men's hockey team under fire after Donald Trump makes joke about women's team 18:17

    Law and Order:
    Police have arrested a second person over a Flaxmere man's alleged murder in February last year 18:07

    Entertainment:
    Judy Greer has "carried [Jennifer Garner] through the last 20 years 17:51

    Living & Travel:
    Wellington's mayor says he'd be comfortable swimming on Wellington's southern coast - on current information available 17:27


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd