Actor and director Timothy Busfield has been released from jail pending his trial on charges that he had sexual contact with a child.
The child at the center of the case was an actor who appeared on “The Cleaning Lady,” which Busfield directed, The New York Times reported.
The boy, along with his twin brother, was on the show when they were 7 and 8 years old. Neither was identified.
Prosecutors alleged that Busfield touched the genitals and backside of one child repeatedly, the Times reported. Busfield faces two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse, The Associated Press reported.
The boy’s brother said he was also touched, but didn’t say where and said he didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to get in trouble, according to the AP.
Busfield’s attorneys said that the children did not initially say that they were touched when asked by police, with the lawyers saying that they had been coached by their parents after the boys were cut from the show.
One witness said that the children were never left alone on the set of the show and that the parents encouraged them to hug adults, the AP reported.
The judge overseeing the case ordered Busfield’s release until his trial, saying that he willingly surrendered to police and that there was no pattern of criminal conduct, including no past allegations involving children, the Times reported.
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