Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield was ordered held without bond at his first court appearance Wednesday, a day after turning himself in to face charges of child sex abuse stemming from allegations that he inappropriately touched a minor on the set of a TV series he was directing in New Mexico. Busfield appeared remotely via a video link from jail, where he was booked Tuesday. Whether he remains in jail will be the subject of a detention hearing that will be scheduled within five business days, the AP reports.
Albuquerque police issued a warrant for his arrest last week on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse. A criminal complaint alleges the acts occurred on the set of the series The Cleaning Lady, which was filmed in the city. Busfield, who is married to actor Melissa Gilbert and is known for appearances in The West Wing, Field of Dreams, and Thirtysomething, has vowed to fight the charges. In a video shared before turning himself in, Busfield called the allegations lies. During Wednesday's brief court appearance, Busfield stood silent and expressionless, dressed in orange prison clothes, while a defense attorney spoke on his behalf.
Prosecutors are seeking to keep Busfield in custody pending trial. They filed a motion early Wednesday pointing to what they described as a documented pattern of sexual misconduct, abuse of authority, and grooming behavior by Busfield over two decades. They also said witnesses have expressed fear regarding retaliation and professional harm. "In light of the defendant's demonstrated disregard for boundaries, authority and compliance, no condition or combination of conditions of release can reasonably protect the victims or the community," the motion states. In the motion, prosecutors said another abuse allegation was reported to authorities Tuesday.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
