Melissa Gilbert spoke out about child sexual abuse on social media weeks before her husband, Timothy Busfield, faced an arrest warrant.
The Albuquerque Police Department alleges the 68-year-old actor and director sexually abused two 11-year-old twin boys, with one claiming abuse began at age seven.
Investigations trace back to 2024 after a UNMH doctor raised concerns. The boys, child actors on “The Cleaning Lady,” were reportedly groomed by Melissa Gilbert’s husband.
Melissa Gilbert Talked About Child Sex Abuse Weeks Before Her Husband Timothy Busfield’s Arrest Warrant
Melissa Gilbert addressed the issue of child sexual abuse in a social media post just weeks before her husband, Timothy Busfield, became the subject of an arrest warrant connected to allegations involving minors.
An arrest warrant issued by the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) and obtained by People Magazine on Friday, January 9, alleges that Busfield, 68, engaged in illegal sexual contact with two 11-year-old twin boys.
Authorities state that one of the minors claimed the alleged incidents began when he was 7 years old. Busfield is facing two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse.
Weeks earlier, Gilbert, 61, shared a November 15 Instagram post featuring a throwback photo of herself and reflected on her time on “Little House on the Prairie,” where she worked opposite an older on-screen love interest portrayed by Dean Butler, who was several years older than her.
Melissa Gilbert Reflected On Her Childhood Experiences Of On-Screen Romance And Advocated For Child Safety
Writing the post at the time, Gilbert said she hesitated before posting but ultimately felt compelled to speak after seeing other women share similar experiences online using hashtags such as #IWasFifteen and #IWasAChild.
Curious, she searched for images of herself from that age and was disturbed by what she found.
Looking back, Gilbert said she felt sick realizing that the same young girl pictured vacationing in Hawaii with her family was also expected “to ‘fall in love with’ and kiss a man on film who was several years older than she was.”
She added, “Through the lens of today, this is shocking. I have no words other than to say, ‘I WAS A CHILD.’ ‘I WAS FIFTEEN.’ And I was the good news.”
Gilbert expressed gratitude to her mother, Michael Landon Sr., and others who ensured her safety, noting, “Can you imagine if I hadn’t had them all? I am so fortunate (Sort of). Many other young women aren’t.”
Timothy Busfield Faces Arrest Warrant Over Alleged Sexual Abuse Of Twin Child Actors
Several weeks later, on Friday, January 9, authorities in New Mexico issued an arrest warrant for Gilbert’s husband, Timothy Busfield, according to documents obtained by Us Weekly.
The warrant alleges that the actor and director engaged in illegal sexual conduct involving two 11-year-old twin boys while working on the set of the television series “The Cleaning Lady.”
One of the minors told investigators that the alleged abuse began when he was seven years old.
An accompanying affidavit obtained by the publication states that the child was “very afraid of Tim and was relieved when he was off set.”
The boy was also reportedly “afraid to tell anyone because Tim was the director, and he feared Tim would get mad at him.”
Investigators Interviewed Timoth Busfield With Melissa Gilbert Present
The arrest warrant further notes that investigators conducted a phone interview with Busfield, during which his wife, Gilbert, was present and on speakerphone.
In the affidavit, the investigator wrote that both “Timothy, and his wife, Melissa, did tell me before this that they did have a relationship with [the young boys] and their family outside of work.”
It continued, “They advised that they did buy the two boys Christmas gifts and were together on several social functions.”
Investigation Into Timothy Busfield’s Alleged Sexual Abuse Of Child Actors Dates Back To 2024
The investigation into Busfield, best known for portraying Danny Concannon on “The West Wing,” reportedly began in November 2024 after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) contacted law enforcement regarding suspected sexual abuse.
According to the arrest warrant, the boys’ parents told Officer Marvin Kirk Brown that their children were actors who met Busfield while working on “The Cleaning Lady,” where he served as a director. The FOX series aired from January 2022 through June 2025.
The parents were later advised by legal counsel to bring the children to UNMH for evaluation. Medical professionals there reportedly indicated the boys may have been groomed, according to the warrant.
However, authorities later concluded that the case did not meet the required criteria for acceptance at that time.
In October 2025, the boys’ mother later filed a police report and informed Child Protective Services (CPS) that both of her children had disclosed alleged sexual abuse by Busfield spanning from approximately November 2022 through the spring of 2024.
According to the arrest warrant, she was subsequently advised that no action could be taken because the allegations did not involve physical abuse.
All images are owned by their original copyright holder.
Cliche
Source link