The Timothy Busfield Case is Another Wake-Up Call for Child Safety in Entertainment

by Chris Peterson

I read the Timothy Busfield headlines and immediately felt that pit in my stomach. Not surprise. Not even shock. Just that sinking feeling you get when you see a familiar name next to words you never want to see, especially when kids are involved.

According to reports, an arrest warrant has been issued in connection with allegations of child sexual abuse involving two former child actors. The alleged incidents happened while Busfield was working on a television production. One of the alleged victims has since been diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety. Busfield has denied the allegations, and the case is still unfolding.

So yes, the necessary reminder. These are allegations. Due process matters. Courts matter. All of that is true.

And still.

Even without a verdict, this story already says something we keep refusing to deal with. We are still not doing enough to protect children in this industry. We like to tell ourselves we are. We point to new rules, new training, new coordinators, new paperwork. We say things are different now.

But paperwork doesn’t protect kids. People do.

Any space where children are working alongside adults, especially adults with power over their careers, needs constant supervision. Not sometimes. Not when it’s convenient. Constant. There should never be a situation where a child is alone with an adult on a set. Ever. No gray area. No “we trust this person.”

And yet here we are. Again.

What makes stories like this so disturbing isn’t just the allegation itself. It’s how familiar the setup feels. Kids are taught to be compliant. To be grateful. To not rock the boat. That’s a dangerous lesson when it’s paired with adults who are given too much access and too little oversight.

If a child feels uncomfortable, they should know exactly who to talk to. Not eventually. Not quietly. Immediately. And they should know that speaking up won’t cost them a job, a role, or a future. That only works if the adults in charge are actually prepared to act, not delay, not minimize, not “keep an eye on it.”

One of the hardest details in the reporting is that one of the alleged victims has been diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety. That isn’t collateral damage. That’s the result of an industry that too often prioritizes getting the work done over keeping kids safe.

And let’s be honest, this isn’t about one person. It never is. Every time something like this breaks, there’s a rush to call it an outlier. A rare case. But history tells a different story. Film. Television. Theatre. Different spaces, same pattern. Warning signs missed. Red flags ignored. Adults failing kids.

Protecting children cannot be treated like an inconvenience or an extra step. It is the bare minimum. If that means slowing down production, do it. If it means more oversight, fine. If it means removing someone from a project while concerns are investigated, that’s not overreacting. That’s responsibility.

No show is worth a child’s safety. No deadline. No performance. No reputation.

Kids enter this industry trusting the adults around them to protect them. When that trust is broken, it doesn’t end when the project wraps. It follows them. For years. Sometimes forever.

If anything meaningful comes out of the Timothy Busfield allegations, I hope it’s not just another cycle of statements and shock. I hope it forces uncomfortable conversations about power, access, and accountability. And I hope it reminds every producer, director, and institution of their most basic obligation when children are involved.

Protect the kids. Every time. No exceptions.