Actor and director Timothy Busfield remains missing three days after Albuquerque police issued an arrest warrant accusing him of sexually abusing two child actors.
The Albuquerque Police Department said Busfield, 68, has not been located since the warrant was issued on Jan. 9 and that officers are working with the U.S. Marshals Service to find him, according to People.
When asked whether Busfield had been located, detained, or arrested, an APD spokesperson told the outlet, "Not that I am aware."
Busfield is wanted on three felony charges: two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse, a warrant shows.
The allegations involve 11-year-old twin boys who worked as child actors on the Fox television series "The Cleaning Lady." Busfield joined the production as a director in 2022.
The boys are identified in court records only by the initials SL and VL.
According to the police affidavit, the investigation began in November 2024 after a physician at the University of New Mexico Hospital reported suspected child sexual abuse.
Police did not move forward with the case at that time.
Nearly a year later, in October 2025, the boys' mother went back to Albuquerque police and Child Protective Services with new information, which prompted investigators to reopen the case and seek an arrest warrant.
The mother told police that her children "were groomed and sexually abused by Timothy," according to the affidavit.
She said Busfield told the boys to call him "Uncle Tim." The mother also described changes in on-set supervision after Busfield joined the show, telling investigators that parents of child actors had previously been provided iPads to monitor their children during filming.
She said that practice stopped after Busfield arrived.
Investigators said SL first shared details of the alleged abuse during therapy sessions.
According to the affidavit, SL told his therapist that Busfield had "touched both his 'genitalia' and 'bottom.'"
During later interviews with police, SL said the alleged abuse began when he was 7 years old.
Both boys described multiple incidents that they said occurred over several years.
Police said the alleged abuse took place while the twins were working on the show and continued over an extended period.
The warrant does not specify dates for each alleged incident but describes repeated conduct over an extended period.
Busfield denied the allegations when interviewed by police by phone, according to the affidavit.
Investigators wrote that he "acknowledged to the police in a phone interview that he probably tickled the boys, describing the set as a 'playful environment,'" and "suggested that the allegations were a form of revenge by the boys' mother after the children were terminated from the show," as reported by The New York Times.
Authorities have not said when or where Busfield was last seen, and police have not revealed whether they believe he may have left New Mexico.
Court records do not list an attorney representing him, and Busfield has not issued a public statement.
Police said Monday that they were still searching for Busfield, with federal authorities assisting.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.