Why was Timothy Busfield ordered to pay $150,000? Past assault allegation resurfaces as actor faces child sex abuse warrant

Timothy Busfield, known for his role in The West Wing, faced a $150,000 court judgment in 1996 after a judge dismissed his defamation suit against a Minneapolis law firm that he accused of inventing a sexual assault allegation.

Per an old news report by the DeseretNews, the firm concocted a story that he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl, who was allegedly an extra in his 1993 movie Little Big League.

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The 1996 report added that the lawsuit was later settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.

Timothy Busfield arrested: What we know about the child sex abuse allegations

Timothy Busfield's previous legal trouble resurfaces amid his arrest warrant for child sex abuse charges. The Field of Dreams star faces two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse.

According to the court documents, the sexual contact involved a child under 13. In an arrest issued by the Albuquerque Police Department on Jan. 9, police allege that Timothy Busfield engaged in sexual conduct with two 11-year-old boys, whose names and identities are undisclosed for safety reasons.

The authorities add that one of the minors involved alleged that the misconduct began when he was 7 years old.

As revealed by the filings, a police officer named Marvin Kirk Brown was dispatched after a doctor from the University of New Mexico hospital alerted the authorities in November 2024 about the alleged sexual abuse.

The officer spoke with the parents of the children, who were cast in the series The Cleaning Lady, which Timothy Busfield directed, and found that the actor-director "grew closer to the boys." The doctor also informed the officer that the children appeared to have been groomed.

Officer Brown said in the warrant:

"I discovered that Timothy Busfield has faced accusations of sexual assault, with two seperate [sic] incidents reported in the media, one in the 1990s and another around 2012."

The officer continued, unearthing the old case involving the aforementioned 17-year-old:

"First allegation occurred in 1994. A seventeen-year-old extra on Little Big League sued in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming Busfield assaulted her, served her alcohol, groped her, atempted [sic] sex in a trailer."

Further, the warrant includes a 2012 incident, wherein Busfield was accused of battery.

"A twenty-eight-year-old woman accused Busfield of battery in an LA movie theater—alleging he slipped hands under clothes, touched genitals for four minutes."

However, no lawsuit was filed, with Timothy calling the incident "consensual." Prosecutors, as stated in the warrant, "passed due to slim evidence."

Also Read: What are the charges against Timothy Busfield? Emmy-winning actor accused of misconduct involving minors

Timothy Busfield is an Emmy-winning actor, known for his roles in the movies Stripes, Field of Dreams, Sneakers, and Little Big League. He also starred in the TV series, thirtysomething.

He directed the movies Maneater and Guest Artists, and has earned credits in the movies Lizzie McGuire, Nashville, Designated Survivor, and Las Vegas.

Busfield also helmed the series This Is Us, Without a Trace, Studio 60 on a Sunset Trip, Sports Night, Mind Games, The Fosters, Heartstrings, and more.

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