Busfield does not enter plea to child sexual abuse charges as new allegation surfaces

Hollywood actor Timothy Busfield, most known for his role as journalist Danny Concannon in “The West Wing,” declined to enter a plea in New Mexico on Wednesday to charges of child sex abuse.Busfield turned himself in to authorities Tuesday over allegations that he sexually abused two children on the set of the Fox series, “The Cleaning Lady,” which he directed and acted in. An arrest warrant was issued for the actor last week.
The actor is facing two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and child abuse, according to Deadline, and could face decades in prison if convicted. Busfield has publicly denied the abuse allegations but did not enter a formal plea. 
The court appearance comes the same day that a new sexual abuse allegation was made against Busfield, the outlet also reported. A 16-year-old claimed Busfield kissed her, put his hands down her pants and touched her inappropriately several years ago in Sacramento, California.
“The defendant begged the family to not report to law enforcement if he received therapy, [the victim’s father] Colin Swift a therapist himself thought at the time that was the best thing to do,” Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bergman wrote in a court filing.
Bergman also urged the court to keep Busfield behind bars while he awaits his trial, claiming “no conditions of release will reasonably protect the safety of any other person or the community.”
“The Defendant poses an ongoing and serious danger to children and the community,” the filing reads. “His conduct reflects a calculated pattern of grooming, lack of boundaries, and exploitation of professional authority to gain access to minors. Witnesses in this investigation expressed fear of retaliation and career harm for reporting the Defendant’s conduct, further underscoring his ability to intimidate and silence others.”
Busfield has not been criminally charged over the California allegations. 
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.

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