What you need to know
- Child sex abuse charges against Timothy Busfield were dropped after a judge ruled that prosecutors mishandled the grand jury proceedings.
- Melissa Gilbert, Busfield’s wife, responded to the news with a cryptic post on Instagram, sparking both favorable and mixed reactions from her followers.
- Busfield had pleaded not guilty to the allegations, consistently denying any wrongdoing and expressing confidence in his eventual exoneration.
Warning: The following post contains allegations of child sexual abuse.
Melissa Gilbert has responded to her husband Timothy Busfield’s child sex abuse charges being dropped in a cryptic social media update.
On Friday October 16, the Little House on the Prairie The star took to Instagram just hours after the news broke. His message came after Judge Joseph Montano dismissed the indictment against Busfield, 69, which included two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and child abuse. Montano ruled that prosecutors did not handle the grand jury process fairly.
“So a good deed shines in a tired world,” wrote Gilbert, 62.
In the comments, Gilbert’s followers celebrated the news, with one Instagram user exclaiming: “Absolutely fantastic!! I almost screamed in the supermarket.”
Another said: “OMGGG sis yayyyyyy. The truth prevails! So happy for you guys. Sending you both a big hug!!!”
Someone else shared: “I knew it!!! Wow I’m so sorry you had to go through all this, what a waste. Must feel good today.”
Another Instagram user commented: “So happy for you both. What a disgusting scam accusation.”
However, not everyone was happy with the charges being dropped. One follower pointed out: “This guy got away with it because of a technicality, not because he’s innocent!!! »
In January, Busfield turned himself in after Albuquerque police issued a warrant for his arrest. He faced allegations of illegal sexual conduct with 11-year-old actor twins he met on the set of The cleaning lady. The alleged abuse began when one of the victims was 7 years old.
THE thirty years old and The West Wing actor pleaded not guilty to four counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor (child under 13) in February. He also denied the allegations.
In a January video message to TMZ, Busfield insisted, “These are all lies, and I didn’t do anything to these little boys, and I’m going to fight. I’m going to fight with a great team, and I’m going to be exonerated, I know that, because this is all so wrong and it’s all lies. So hold on, and hopefully I’ll be out and back to work real soon. I love everyone that supports me. Thank you.”
The trial date was initially set for May 2027.
If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault, contact the National Rape, Abuse, and Incest Network hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is a victim of child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453). If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
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