An upcoming episode of the long-running crime drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has been abruptly pulled from schedules following serious allegations against its guest star, actor Timothy Busfield.
The Allegations and Arrest Warrant
According to an arrest warrant issued by the Albuquerque Police Department in New Mexico, Busfield faces two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and one count of child abuse. The 68-year-old actor, famed for his role as Danny Concannon in The West Wing, is accused of unlawful sexual conduct with two male child actors.
The identities of the alleged victims have been withheld for their protection. Documents reveal one child was just seven years old when the alleged abuse began. An investigation was launched on 1 November 2024 after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital alerted police that the boys showed signs of being groomed.
The parents told investigating officer Marvin Kirk Brown that their children met Busfield on the set of the Fox and Warner Bros TV drama The Cleaning Lady, where Busfield worked as a director. The parents claimed he "grew closer to the boys" during the show's run from January 2022 to June of last year.
Details from the Police Investigation
The arrest warrant alleges Busfield instructed the children to call him "Uncle Tim" and would tickle them on the stomach and legs. Later, one boy disclosed to a forensic interviewer that Busfield had touched him inappropriately over his clothing on his private parts five to six times.
The child, now 10, was subsequently diagnosed with moderate post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, suffering nightmares about the director. The boy claimed Busfield had touched his penis three or four times and appeared ashamed. He told authorities he initially withheld details because he did not want to be mean to Busfield and feared the director would get angry.
In response to the allegations, Busfield told police the boys' parents "had a problem" with not being invited back for the next season. He suggested an actress on the show told him a mother "wanted revenge". While admitting it was "highly likely" he would have tickled the boys to foster a playful environment, he later stated he didn't "remember overtly tickling the boys ever".
The warrant notes Busfield and his wife, actress Melissa Gilbert, had a relationship with the family outside of work, buying Christmas gifts and attending social functions.
Production Response and Fallout
As a direct result of the investigation, the SVU episode featuring Busfield, originally set to air on Monday, 15 January 2026, was pulled at the last minute. It will be replaced with next week's scheduled episode.
In a statement to Metro, Warner Bros. Television said: "The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions. We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously... We are aware of the current charges against Mr. Busfield and have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement."
If found guilty of the charges, Busfield could face a minimum of three years in prison. It remains unclear if the Emmy-winning actor, known for roles in Field of Dreams and Thirtysomething, has been formally arrested.
The investigating officer's warrant concluded that the case displayed classic grooming behaviour, where an abuser exploits a position of trust to erode boundaries and silence the victim.
