Judge Orders Timothy Busfield Released Pending Trial on Child Sex Abuse Charges
A judge has ruled that Timothy Busfield, who was accused of child sex abuse, should be released pending his trial. Busfield had been in jail in Albuquerque, N.M., since surrendering to authorities on the charges last week. The allegations state that he groped a 7-year-old boy’s “private areas” while directing episodes of “The Cleaning Lady” on Fox.
Prosecutors had requested that Busfield be held in custody throughout the case, citing concerns about the safety of the community. However, Judge David Murphy decided to release Busfield due to his lack of a criminal history. Nevertheless, Busfield was ordered not to have unsupervised contact with minors during the trial.
Busfield’s attorney, Christopher Dodd, emphasized that his client had promptly surrendered to authorities upon learning of the charges. Dodd also highlighted that the alleged victim initially denied any sexual contact during the initial police interview.
Defense witness Alan Caudillo, the director of photography on “The Cleaning Lady,” testified that he was always with Busfield on set and never witnessed any inappropriate behavior towards minors. The defense team raised doubts about the allegations and questioned the possibility of Busfield engaging in misconduct on set.
Assistant Deputy District Attorney Savannah Brandenburg-Koch argued that Busfield had faced previous accusations of sexual misconduct, although none had resulted in criminal charges. She expressed concerns about the risk of Busfield reoffending due to his position and past behavior.
District Attorney Sam Bregman emphasized the seriousness of child abuse cases and the state’s efforts to ensure public safety. In New Mexico, defendants are typically entitled to pre-trial release unless the prosecution can demonstrate a threat to the community.
