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The charges Busfield faces are severe. According to a criminal complaint obtained by ABC News, he is accused of inappropriately touching two 11-year-old twins while working on the set of The Cleaning Lady. One of the children alleged that the incident occurred in a bedroom used on set. Medical professionals later told the parents that the children displayed signs consistent with grooming, according to court records.
The complaint states that the alleged conduct began in 2022, when one of the children was seven years old, and continued until 2024. Busfield was arrested on January 13 after a warrant was issued several days earlier.
Busfield now faces two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor under the age of 13 and one count of child abuse. If convicted on all charges, he could receive a sentence of up to 15 years in prison. He has pleaded not guilty, and the case remains ongoing as the court prepares for future hearings.
As the legal battle continues, the courtroom scene that left Melissa Gilbert in tears stands as a stark reminder of the uncertainty ahead, not only for the accused, but for the family caught at the center of an unfolding and deeply consequential case.