Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - 'LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRE' STAR SOBS IN COURT OVER SEX CHARGES

Episode Date: January 21, 2026

Little House on the Prairie alum, Melissa Gilbert, sobs in court during hubby Timothy Busfield's pretrial detention hearing  in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. Emmy award winner Timothy Busfield now released from the New Mexico jail pending trial for the child sex abuse charges. Busfield is accused of inappropriately touching two 11-year-old twin boys while directing episodes of the hit tv show, "The Cleaning Lady". When Busfield joins the cast as an actor and director he tells the boys to call him "Uncle Tim". The alleged inappropriate action happens on multiple occasions and parents of the boys say Busfield masks the inappropriate touching as "play". One of the boys says he was touched on his intimate parts over his clothing. The parents say SL wakes up scared from nightmares about Busfield touching him and is diagnosed with Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder, PTSD. Allegations surface that one of the boys withdrew from the set and didn't want to go as much as before. The child actors accusing Timothy Busfield of touching them inappropriately while working on the tv show, "The Cleaning Lady," told a totally different story when they first talked to investigators. Asked directly and specifically if they knew about private areas on their body that no one can touch, both boys said "yes". When asked if Timothy Busfield ever touches their "privates", both boys answered "no". Lawyers for Busfield say he passed an independent polygraph and is innocent of all charges.   Joining Nancy Grace: Chris Melcher - Celebrity Lawyer and Partner at Walzer Melcher & Yoda with deep experience in complex family law litigation, website: WalzerMelcher.com Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker: When to work on a relationship and when to walk away” Also featured in hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock,  www.drbethanymarshall.com , Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, Twitter: @DrBethanyLive   Jessica Finn - Senior Investigative Reporter at The U.S. Sun,  the-sun.com, jessicafinnnyc (Twitter/ IG) @jessicafinn.bsky.social (Bluesky) Dave Mack - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories'  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Little House on the Prairie star sobs in court over sex charges. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. I want to thank you for being with us. Timothy Busfield, a well-known actor, director, and producer now finds himself not behind the lens, but directly in front of it, facing disturbing allegations. that threaten to redefine his public image.

We all know who Melissa Gilbert is, the star of Little House on the Prairie that ran for years and years and years. People watched her grow up, and here she is now. But many people didn't recognize the name Timothy Busfield. But I beg you recognize this.

Quiz show, Field of Dreams, Revenge of the Nerds, Wow. Blue Bloods, Striking Distance, Lizzie McGuire, Entourage, Sleepy Hollow, Matlock, the client list, West Wing, Lois and Clark, Joan of Arcadia, Stripes. It goes on and on and on. This is us. Graceland, FBI Most Wanted. I've got reams of titles. Timothy Busfield connected to all of these hits. There he is now a famous, famous actor-director now brought in court in shackles after this. At least 10 heavily armed U.S. Marshals from the New York Regional Task Force gather at the upstate home of award-winning actor-director Timothy Busfield.

The agents wearing helmets and protective gear use a battering ram to reach the door, gaining access to the home, not knowing what they will find as the property is searched for evidence. That from our friends at Daily Mail. And you see the use of a battering ram, which is very, very unusual to Chris Melcher joining us, high-profile celebrity lawyer, partner Wolzer Melcher. Question to you. Melcher, how often have you seen a battering ram used to get to a defendant? The battering ram seems excessive, but I have definitely seen it in my practice when law enforcement enters a home, which is an inherently dangerous thing to do. Guys, you're seeing a shot from our friends at the Daily Mail.

This is when, in full tactical gear, L.E. Law Enforcement descends on the upstate New York home of Little House on the Prairie Star, Melissa Gilbert and husband, actor-director Timothy Busfeld. As you heard earlier, not knowing what would be inside, they batter the door down. That from our friends at Daily Mail, which

leads us to now, tonight. In the last hours, Busfeld, in a court, in New Mexico, answering up to charges of child sex abuse. Now,

in court, the argument in court, that this whole child sex abuse claim is fabricated over revenge. Okay, joining me an all-star panel straight out to Jessica Finn, senior investigative reporter at the U.S. Sun on the story from the very beginning. Jessica, thank you for being with us. What is she talking about revenge? So the boys were basically taken off the show sometime in early 2024. And apparently the parents were very upset about this. It sounds like from the description of what the defense attorney Amber was saying is that the boys had basically aged out. Like the role was only over the course of a couple of years and the boys had suddenly between COVID and other like delays in filming, the boys had basically aged out. And so they decided to replace them with

younger actors. And so it was, you know, they were, they were. We're off the show and then all the way in November of 2024 is the first time we hear an allegation that Timothy had allegedly done something untowards towards the boys. Dave Mack, maybe I need to check my IFB here. Dave Mack joining us, crime stories investigative reporter, but does a witness state that the boy's mother said, upon learning the boys, the twin boys were not going to be brought back to the set, I'm going to get his ass. did she say that according to a witness

Nancy the lead actress of this series is the one who is they say actually overheard that the mother of the twins said we're going to get rid of it we are going to get his ass okay we're going to get to the claims in just a moment the actual claims in an indictment

that looks bad and apparently the judge bought into it you know, to veteran defense attorney Chris Melcher joining us, Chris, going into a case where you do not have forensic evidence. You don't have DNA. You don't have a fingerprint. You don't have a confession and you don't have an eyewitness. What you do have is a victim. And if your victim can be attacked, and remember, these were little boys. and the mother allegedly said, I'm going to get his ass for not bringing my children back. That could be a mortal blow to the state's case. Absolutely, Nancy.

I'm really surprised that this case was even filed just based on the affidavit that was presented to the court. And the information that's come out now is devastating. And it just seems to me that he's innocent and that I don't really believe this case is long for the world based on what we're seeing. Well, isn't it true, Chris Meltcher, that that's what you're paid to think. You're a defense attorney and you are paid to state my client's innocent. Just yes, no. Isn't that what you're paid to do?

I mean, I'm just being one. It's the harsh truth. As a defense attorney, yeah, but as a citizen here, just reviewing this information, there is no reasonable prospect that the prosecutor can secure a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt in my mind. Okay, hold on just a moment. You do know Melcher about similar transactions, claims of abuse on teens and young people dating back to 1994.

You think all that? Those aren't really similar. Those aren't really similar. There's no... So it always happens to younger individuals, 16 years old, 17 years old. It often happens in relation to a TV or movie set. There is always a position like a fiduciary position. For instance, he is in charge and the other person is coming to audition or to try out or to be mentored. So I see a lot of similarities, but I do. But I do.

do agree a case in chief must stand on its own. The similar transactions are to corroborate or bolster your case in chief. So, who are we going to believe? Could all things be true? Could the mother be held bent on revenge and the boys be telling the truth? There's problems with that, too. This case is riddled with problems. That doesn't mean it didn't happen. But straight back out to Jessica Finn joining us. What is Fairburg saying? She's saying that one of the boys' parents was a lawyer that had been disbarred and that they were running out of money. Explain to me what she's arguing to the judge. So she is essentially saying that these boys' parents are scam artists. She is telling the judge that they have a history of a nefarious behavior, both the father and the mother. And

And she's arguing that essentially these parents have put these boys up to making these allegations against Tim. Wow. Okay. Dave Mack, crime stories. What can you tell us about claims that one of the parents is a disbarred lawyer? That would be the father, Nancy. His name's Ronald Rodas, a defense attorney that actually pleaded guilty in 2017 to a federal

charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was accused in a multimillion. scheme defrauding over 1,500 homeowners. That's just the dad. Mom's not innocent either. She ain't smelling like a rose tonight. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. To Dr. Bethany Marshall joining us,

renowned psychoanalyst joining us out of L.A., author of Deal Breaker. You can see her now on Peacock. And you can find her at Dr. Bethanymartial.com. Dr. Bethany. I've had to argue to a jury that a prostitute can be raped. A prostitute can be ag assaulted. A prostitute can be armed robbed.

I have had to argue that a dope addict can be murdered. That it's still a murder, no matter who the victim is. All the victims that I represented in inner city Atlanta for a decade, I can promise you They were not nuns and priests and virgins. Can we just put that out there right now? And I would have to tell the jury up front, you're going to hear this, this, and this. But that does not mean a crime didn't happen. But I got to tell you something.

These parents, that's a doozy. You got the, did you hear what Dave Mack just said? He's right. Yes, I did. When I hear a lawyer disbarred, I'm like, what, what? because Bethany and Melcher, I'm sure you're going to agree. I don't know if you'll admit it or not, but to get thrown out of the bar, you have to do a lot to get thrown out of the bar. I mean a lot. He's disbarred. I mean, and it was a fraud case, which is critical here. Because when you don't

know a horse, Bethany, you look at the track record. Dad thrown out of the bar for fraud. And now the defense's claim this is a fraud for money, it doesn't smell good. It doesn't smell good at all. And I don't expect victims to be angels. I never get an angel victim. But this is bad. Or you can be a sex predator, but also not be guilty of predating on two victims. You're accused of, you know, Nancy, instead of thinking about who's right and who's wrong, Timothy Busfield or the parents, how about thinking about it as a group of people who acted something out together? So, again, this is made up. I don't know Timothy Bustfield, but let's say the parents are very angry that the boys are no longer hired for the show.

They get wind that Timothy Batsfield is potentially predatory. And because of that, it entices them to set him up as having molested the boys. And in that case, you can see that all the adults in the scenario acted something out together. Or if Timothy Bustfield did indeed molest these boys, he may have come up with formidable opponents who are actually looking for an opportunity for a shakedown. So I don't think this is going to be one's an angel and one's a devil. I think this is going to be adults colluding with each other in a very terrible way with two little boys victimized being used as pawns by probably all parties involved.

But at what juncture? First of all, I'm trying to imagine a mom and a dad, not destitute. I mean, one's got a law degree. He can go work. Well, no, he can't. He's disbarred. He can be a mediator, right, Melcher? Even lawyers that have been to sparred and go perform mediation's, right? And make a good living at it, too. Yes, no. Yes. Yes. And he was making a lot more money off of their kids. Good point. So what I'm saying is, Bethany, I've got to imagine a scenario of two parents, a mother and a father, going along with using their children as pawns and fabricating a sex molestation. Now, this was not a full-on rape of a child.

This was allegations that children were fondled over their clothes. all right, and they're private parts. Which, the reason I bring that up, molestation is molestation is molestation, but it's harder to prove a fondling because you have no physical evidence. When you have a full-on attack, you will probably get physical evidence from the child's body. We don't have that here. But I'm trying to imagine a scenario, Bethany, where a mom and a dad would put their children up to pretend that they're sex victims.

That is dark. That is evil because the rest of their lives are going to remember, hey, my mom and dad, they told me to say this so we could get some money. I mean, that. Nancy, I have a lot of adults in my practice who were once child actors, and a good number of them were used as pawns by their parents and their money was taken. You know, Nancy, if the parents are already monetizing their children in one way as actors, It would be interesting to know if they're willing to cross that line and monetize their children in other ways.

Parents use their children all the time. We call it exploitation, interpersonal offending, and yes, it is very, very dark. They could not accept the reality that their boys had aged out. They would not have this role forever. But then if you get a predator on the set who has poor boundaries, I don't know if Timothy Bussfield is, of course, but you have a predator, then you have yet another dark scenario where you have a predator whose parents are potentially asleep at the wheel. Bethany, Bethany, before I lose this thought, and I'm going to go back in the courtroom

and I'm going to play audio of the boys, okay? But when you said no boundaries, there is evidence from several witnesses that state that Busfield would come on the set and he would hug the boys and actually would like pop a kiss on their head. And that's against protocol. And I know that because I had to train to go on the scout campouts with the children. And you're not supposed to touch the children ever. And I was out in the middle of nowhere camping.

And a little, like, 10-year-old boy came walking down by himself, just crying and snodding and wailing. I'm like, what is wrong, baby? Come here. And I hugged him. Another scoutmaster came out. and went, just stop right now. I'm like, and I unhugged. And they remembered, you're not supposed to touch no matter what. The little boy was upset. It was his first night and he wanted to go home. That's what happened. But, you know, what I'm thinking about Busville walking on the set and kissing a kid on the face, like I think on the forehead. So I don't know how that will play into this when you're talking about boundaries. Was that part of a wicked scheme? Was it just a time? tiny taste of further exploitation, or is it a natural response to seeing a child you've been working with for a year? But I'm just imagining how parents could use their children in some

kind of money scheme. Well, you know, when you have wealth, power, privilege, you should know the rules. Timothy Busfield has been on so many sets, as you pointed out. So by now, he's well acquainted with the fact that he could potentially be a target, right? For people who are disgruntled or angry. So he knows to watch his P's and Cues. There was one interview with a makeup artist who said that everybody kind of watched out for Timothy Bussfield because he had poor boundaries and she used the word creep. So I find that interesting that somebody else on the set said that.

Put Bethany up. Bethany, Bethany, Bethany, Bethany. You just raised a hair on the back of my neck. My antenna went, dwing. Because in every case that I, well, not every, but almost every rape or molestation case that I prosecuted, universally, somewhere in the defendant's past, somebody said, he was always so creepy. He was always a weirdo. He was always a per, whatever adjective they would put in right there.

Just hearing somebody say that, it's like a six sense. Okay. Bethany, are you sitting down? You look like you're sitting down. You may need to lay down. I'm going to play something for you. Guys, embrace yourself. The defense is having a fill day

with this audio of the little boys when they were little boys. Listen. You know what's right and wrong, right? Yeah. You don't know anyone could touch your private areas? Yeah, but he doesn't touch their private parts. Doesn't touch your private parts?

Okay. Okay. And you know what's right and wrong, right? You know where people can't touch where people can't do? Yeah, you know that, right? does Tim ever do that? No, he's never touched me.

Never touched you? Yeah. In like, you know, your private areas, right? Never did that? Never. Okay. You just heard audio, police audio, that we got from our friends at TMZ, interviewing the two twin boys.

We're not saying their names. We're referring to them as the V-Victory, L-Love, and S. Sally L. Love, VL and S.L. That is the original police interview with accusers. And it sounds like that is a forensic interviewer that establishes with the child they understand right from wrong and not to tell stories. Okay. That's just part of the interview where both boys deny anything happened. Emmy Award winner Timothy Busfield joins cast as an actor and director tells boys to call him Uncle Tim. Inappropriate action happens on multiple occasions and parents of the boys say Busfield masks the inappropriate touching as play. One boy says he was touched on his intimate

parts over his clothing. The boys are referred to as SL and VL. The parents say SL wakes up scared from nightmares about Busfield touching him and is diagnosed PTSD. Busfield and his wife actress Melissa Gilbert live a quiet, secluded life in their cat skills mountainside home until accusation. Until accusation pull them into public scrutiny. Even that quiet, secluded life in the Catskills did not protect Timothy Busfield from a battering ram

just crashing through his door when he did not come to the door. He has now been in court. Take a look at this video. This is what went down at their Catskills refuge. Take a look. Everybody in full-tack gear.

This is from our friends at Daily Mail. and in the end, Timothy Busfield is in court. Now, another field day, another touchdown for the defense, is when they obtained an audio recording from the time these claims were first brought. They were originally dismissed. I want you to hear, again, the police recording. Listen, we've transcribed it for you, so you can see and hear exactly what the boys said,

at the time. You know what's right and wrong, right? Yeah. You know no one could touch your private areas? Yeah, but he doesn't touch them. Doesn't touch your private parts? Okay, okay. And you know what's right right right? You know where people can't touch where people can do? Yeah, you know that, right? Does Tim ever do that? No, he's never touched me. Never touched you? Yeah. And like, you know, your private areas, right? Never did that? Okay. Okay. That's bad for the state. I'm just telling you, and I'm prone to believe the victims, but that is going to be extremely damaging on cross-examination if these boys do take the stand. They're no longer boys. That's from our friends at TMC. So how did this whole thing happen now, years later?

After Busfield joins the show as director, the parents discovered there have been allegations against Busfield of sexual assault against women in mind. The mother asks the boys if anyone has ever touched them in a manner that made them feel uncomfortable. The children reply, you mean like Uncle Tim? Hearing this, the parents contact a law firm that recommends taking the children to UNMH. Okay, right there. Dr. Bethany Marshall, it's hard to ask your children, but I found a way to ask the children when they were little, starting as young as two and three, if anybody had ever touched their private part. ever, front end or back end. And I had learned a lot, you know, from learning about interviewing

children forensically, which I had to do as a prosecutor. And there's a problem here because if the twins, either one of them had ever said, yeah, I would have immediately called the hospital And the police, my first thought would not be to call a lawyer. What do you think? That is right. Here's what I think. It could be that the little boy who's having PTSD and dreams about being touched by Uncle Tim, actually, in fact, his parents are coaching him and talking to him about sex and what it's like when somebody touches your private parts and that they are so excited over the prospect of a shakedown.

that this is the biggest topic in the household at this point, and that it's that conversation that's actually traumatizing this little boy. I had a family who brought a 16-year-old to me who had been raped by her best male friend, who was also 16, but they would invade the session excitedly talking about the nature of the rape. And I became aware that actually they were setting up the other family, by continually planting stories in the 16-year-old's head. She wasn't traumatized by whatever happened with the other 16-year-old. It's her parents who were traumatizing her

because they just saw a big paycheck at the end of the day. Now, I don't know for sure if that's what's happening here, but I would certainly consider that as a possibility. The parents have not been accused of any fraud in this case at all. For all we know, These claims could be true and the parents are doing what they can for their children. That said, they call a lawyer and this happens next. Examining the children, hospital staff advised the parents it appears their children

were groomed and in reference to a cart exam, an interview of a child by a specialized forensic interviewer as part of a child abuse response team, CART protocol. In interviews with both boys, neither child discloses. any sexual contact, but both say Uncle Tim would tickle them on the stomach and legs and they didn't like it. Oh, my stars, Chris Melcher. I guess you're just dancing up and down the halls with glee right now because here they are in another interview at the hospital, and they're doing a full-on C-A-R-T, a cart, which is a specialized exam you do with potential child abuse victims. both times

neither child discloses sex contact they do say quote Uncle Tim would tickle them on the stomach and legs and they didn't like it okay bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum

it's lining up for the state it pays me to say it but here is another blow to potential victims I don't know if it's right or wrong but I know here's another point of cross-exam I mean I'm just looking at it it analytically, Melcher, because if I'm preparing these boys for direct, I got to prepare them for the fact that this hospital staff is going to come in and say, he said it didn't happen.

You got to be ready for that if you believe the boys or don't believe the boys. There's another nail in the coffin. Absolutely. All this evidence points towards his innocence and it's exculpatory. There's, again, it's, it's maddening to think that the prosecutor filed this case. to begin with, as you know, they have a duty. Well, wait a minute, wait a minute, Malcher, wait a minute. What if the prosecutor, I assume, has spoken to the boys? It believes the boys. So what?

You don't bring a case just because somebody like Chris Meltter says, I can't believe they did that. If you believe the victim, then put the victim up on the stand and give it all you got, go in guns of blazing, man. No, it's not about believing anyone. It's whether you can secure a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt. that's an ethical obligation of the prosecutor that I don't think is being honored here based on this evidence because you sure if you ask a child a young child over and over again and highly suggestive interviews potentially by their parents have you been abused

eventually you will get the answer that you're looking for and and it's well they haven't gotten it yet well how do i know the prosecution hasn't spoken to the child victims now adults young adults and they convinced the prosecution has happened and the prosecution believes them and believes that they will carry the day regarding credibility and they will win the case. I mean, what you say is reasonably expect a conviction. They may reasonably expect a conviction based on the interviews of the alleged victims. You don't know that. What I'm saying is you got to prep them for what's going to happen on cross and it ain't pretty. Okay, what happens then? They go to the hospital, They do the C-A-R-T interview.

Hospital staff says, all he did was tickle them. All right, how does that turn into this? Listen. Police begin investigating Busfield in November 2024 when an investigator responds to a call from a doctor at University New Mexico Hospital calling for investigation. The parents take their boys to the hospital

and the mother contacts child protective services accusing Busfield of abusing the children. One of the boys tells police, Busfield first touched him inappropriately when he was just seven and again when he was eight. So Jessica Finn, senior investigative reporter, the U.S. son on the case from the very beginning. Jessica, so at this juncture when a police officer speaks to the boys, they do say, at least one of them says Timothy Busfield did touch them, either their front end or their back end. Right.

So there was actually a year between the kids. going being brought into the hospital and the hospital reporting to police that they would had believed that the child, the children were being groomed by Timothy. And then a year later, they'd said he had just tickled us, but he didn't touch our privates at that point. And so the police declined to prosecute anything on that. And so a full year later now, we're talking October of 2025. The boys were, one of the boys reported to his counselor at the time, allegedly, that Timothy

had touched him in the front on his privates and in the back on his privates. And so the counselor, who's a mandated reporter, called the cops. And that's how the cops came to this point where we're at, where Timothy has been arrested because there was an allegation of actual touching made now, even though it's a full year later. That's, yeah, that is the prosecution argues that basically, you know, it takes time for kids to come forward with allegations like this and that they were intimidated by Timothy and they were intimidated by, you know, the police and the argumentable conversation. with police, where they denied any kind of touching like this. Detectives find the children didn't say anything to anyone on the set,

even though they didn't like it because Busfield was the director, and the children are afraid of making the director angry or getting in trouble. The investigation reveals, even though Busfield should not have been alone with the children, measures preventing such one-on-one contact were ignored. And there were times when Busfield could have been alone with the children, in particular, SL on the set. Interviews with personnel on the show reveal how the children changed after Busfield joined the show. The boys were equally happy to be in front of the cameras, but after

Busfield joined the show, SL became withdrawn, did not want to be on set, and VL ended up being used more than SL. The investigation determines Busfield did not have the opportunity to be alone with the boys, particularly SL. Okay, to Dr. Bethany Marshall, renowned psychoanalyst, Dr. Bethany, that means something. One of the boys became withdrawn and didn't want to go on the set anymore. There are classic textbook symptoms of molestation you look for such as does a child start wetting the bed. Do their grades drop? Do they become quiet, withdrawn? Sometimes they don't want to eat. There are many classic symptoms of child molestation. If you know what to look for, not wanting to go to the set anymore when they previously loved going to the set, that's an indicator.

It's not enough to build a case on. I can tell you that right now. But it is an indicator. Well, not the reason that's an indicator, Nancy, is that avoidance is a primary symptom of trauma. So when little boys who love to be in front of the camera, all of a sudden don't want to go to set, that's something you have to pay attention to. You know, Nancy, some predators, sex predators or pedophiles are what we call interpersonal offenders. That means they don't go as far as fondling the child's genitals or groping or molesting, but they exploit the child emotionally.

They have, as I said earlier, poor boundaries, and they make the child feel like the child is under their control. And that could be traumatic as well. Okay, to the control room. You keep showing shots of Melissa Gilbert. I know what you're doing. she's married to Busfield, and I know what you're doing. Everyone that works on crime stories knows that as my cases became more and more complex and more and more upsetting when I specialized in almost universally homicide, rape, chomelostation.

I would watch Little House in the Prairie, Little House on the Prairie in the morning to brace myself to go to court. And finally, in the end, when it was serial killers, serial rapist, serial child molesters. I had to watch two episodes every morning before I could go to work. Okay. That said, I'm attached to Little House on the Prairie. So this case is not about Melissa Gilbert, even if you want to make it about Melissa Gilbert. And yes, she was in court, front row, crying, crying. And while her husband was in custody for some reason, she, gives a tour of her fridge.

At Modern Prairie, we always say life is too short. Eat dessert first. Take your pick. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Dr. Bethany Marshall neither here nor there when it comes into the case in chief, whether this is going to actually be a case, but why is she giving a tour of her fridge

while her husband is being charged with child molestation, multiple counts? She may be trying to normalize their household, Nancy. She may be trying to indicate that she's a nurturing person, that she believes her husband, that this is a warm and cozy home. It's not a place where a sex predator lives. But you know, Nancy, something I always tell my patients when they're about to marry somebody where there's questionable alliance, I say when you marry a person, you marry their crimes.

Okay. So that's just wisdom I would impart to everybody. Also, the letter that she wrote to the court is very loving. She calls her husband a sweet, sweet husband. But I would say that idealization is necessary for a good marriage. You have to idealize your partner a little bit. And when the idealization is gone, the love is gone. So if he did commit these crimes, that idealization is going to come crashing down.

And we're going to see, we're not going to see a whole refrigerator anymore. I don't care if they have fresh-cut flowers in a vase. I don't care if there's real butter in the fridge because I've had child molesters that range from literally the creepy dude in the raincoat to pastors. So appearances mean nothing to me. Maybe it means something to this judge because he let Busville-W-R-O-R release on recognises. Now, this is something that means something to me, a guy off of the set where the children worked. Listen to this guy. At any given time, if the child was on set, there was at minimum of 10 people there on the set with them. It's just how it works. There's two cameras, two camera operators, two focus

pullers, two boom guys, a prop person, a hair and makeup person, the studio person would usually be there. The first assistant director, two dolly grips. And that's a lot of the person. And That's for every take, for every shot, always, especially with the children because we had such a limited amount of time with the children. That from our friends at TMZ. Welcome back. We have heard a lot about what is wrong with the two little boys now grown and their testimony, their claims of being abuse victims. We've heard a lot about that. But what about other alleged victims of Busfields? It cannot be ignored.

Listen. Years ago, Sacramento, California, Busfield accused of abuse against a 16-year-old auditioning for Busfield at Sacramento's B Street Theater. The teen reports Busfield kissed her, put his hands down her pants, and touched her privates. Busfield begged the family not to report to law enforcement if he received therapy. And the father, who was a therapist himself, thought at the time that this was the best thing to do. The father now says the incident changed the trajectory of his daughter's life and he regrets not having gone to the the police at the time. Ouch.

To Dave Mac, that was a 16-year-old girl. What else is lurking in Busfield's background? You know, Nancy, we've got the first one we actually know about was from the set of the movie Little Big League, where a 17-year-old accused him, a Busfield, of taking her back to his trailer, giving her out of... giving her alcohol and then trying to kiss her and eventually groped her and tried to rape her in the trailer just off the set. That actually came front. They ended up settling it out of court.

And that was just like a taste. She was 17. When you go to the Sacramento event, again, a girl about the same age. And in that instance, they decided they being... Well, let's stop right there, Dave Mack. Let's not call alleged victims event. Okay, but don't say that. Okay, now, you told me the one about the 16-year-old girl on Little Big Field.

Okay, go ahead next. We've got the one in 94, and then we've got another one in 2012. In that particular case, a woman said that she went on a date with Busfield, and while in the theater, he groped her and assaulted her. That actually went to the police, Nancy. They sat down and interviewed everything and decided they didn't have enough evidence to move forward from the attack in the darkened theater. But that was in 2012.

Now, wait a minute. The 1996 case involving allegations of a child sex assault, he paid $150,000 to settle it. that's a lot of money. Okay, so Chris Milcher, that gives credence to the current case. We have a string of prior allegations, and on at least one of those, he settled for $150,000. Well, I don't think that's ever going to see the light of day in any criminal case, because that would be kind of character evidence.

That's not character evidence. He entered a settlement. to make the case go away. I don't even know what you're saying. We're not in court. Look around. It's character evidence because they would be trying to go. It's evidence of a similar transaction.

That's what it is. Yeah. To try to establish that he acted in conformity with that alleged a prior incident with this current incident. No way that's getting in. See Harvey Weinstein case where that was reversed where they had uncharged. Okay. You know what?

I can see. You know what? I am speaking. from a place of investigation. I'm trying to find out what really happened. So he entered a $150,000 settlement on a prior claim and to Dave Matt. Can I talk to you about Jim Wicca, a former lawyer who represented a 17-year-old girl who accused Busfield of sex harassment in 94? What can you tell me about a judge ordering Busfield to pay up to Wicca? Well, you know, Wicca actually was the attorney in that case, the 94 case with the woman

from Little Bigley. And Timothy Busfield countersued his Wicca and the law firm saying they damaged him and damaged his character. So he filed that $150,000 lawsuit against Wicca and his partners, and the judge was just beside himself. And this is ridiculous and tossed everything. And it went back to Timothy Bustfield having to pay for the attorney's fees and everything associated with that case, with that woman, that young lady who actually, you know, was the actual victim in this case. Okay, so that's where the figure $150,000 comes from after the lawyer sued and for defamation. To Dave Mack, how many alleged priors are there against Busfeld? Eight, I believe, documented Nancy. I've seen that number. I haven't seen every one of those.

Just a lot of the ones that we've talked about. And Jessica Finn, what can you tell me about bussville passing a polygraph, a lie detector. Was it a private lie detector set up by his lawyers or is it a police lie detector test? So Timothy took a private lie detector test in a really unusual move while there was a warrant out for his arrest and as he was driving 2,000 miles from upstate New York to New Mexico to finally turn himself in, which again took five full days along the way he decided he was going to take a lie detector test about this to, I guess, help exonerate him or try and keep him out of jail. And he was, of course, held for several days behind bars until the detention hearing that happened earlier this week. But he did take a lie detector test that supposedly tells, you know, is supposed to prove that he did not molest this little boy, allegedly. The judge seemingly agrees with the defense. He releases Busfield R-O-R-O-R released on own recognizance.

What is true? What is just in this case? You just heard this judge speaking from the bench and our friends at TMZ recorded that. Thank you, Harvey Levin. The search for justice goes on. Are the boys telling the truth? What about the other alleged victims? What happened to their cases? And what, if anything, does that have to do with the here and now? If you know or think you know anything regarding this case, please call Albuquerque PD 505-843-7-8667.

505-843-7867. We remember an American hero. Assistant Chief Johnny Patterson, Verona P.D., Mississippi, killed in the line of duty after 28 years, leaving behind a distraught and grieving wife and two sons. American hero, assistant chief, Johnny Patterson. Nancy Grace signing off. Goodbye, friend. This is an I-Heart podcast, Guaranteed Human.