Overview
- Busfield, 68, is charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a child under 13 and one count of child abuse tied to two boys who worked on Fox’s The Cleaning Lady between late 2022 and spring 2024.
- Judge David A. Murphy denied the state’s detention request, characterizing the weight of the evidence as neutral and noting no demonstrated pattern of criminal conduct involving children.
- Under his release conditions, Busfield will be supervised by pretrial services, may travel, and must avoid firearms, alcohol and drugs, have no contact with the alleged victims or their families, and not discuss the case with witnesses.
- Prosecutors cite therapist and medical records and point to earlier, uncharged allegations to argue a pattern, while the defense highlights a Warner Bros.–commissioned probe that found no corroboration, a passed polygraph, a psychosexual evaluation labeling him very low risk, and initial police interviews in which the boys denied improper touching.
- Industry fallout has included an SVU episode being pulled, his removal from an upcoming film, and his agency dropping him, with the next court appearance reported for Jan. 29.