Timothy Busfield's wife, Melissa Gilbert, penned an emotional letter begging a judge to keep her husband "safe" as he remains behind bars amid child sex abuse charges. The Little House on the Prairie alum, 61, began her message reflecting on how she met Busfield in the '80s and eventually fell in love with him in 2012. The pair tied the knot in 2013 and have been married for nearly 13 years. "The reality is that Tim Busfield is my love, my rock, my partner in business and life," she wrote, according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly on Friday, January 16. "He is my comfort and my council. His joy, humor and quick wit bring sparkle to my life. Tim is, quite simply, the beating heart of our wild and wonderful extended family." Claiming that the West Wing actor, 68, "has the strongest moral compass of any human I have ever known," she further described him as someone who "dedicated his spiritual self to always being of service to others" and who leads his life with "kindness and compassion." 'Little House on the Prairie' Star Melissa Gilbert on Why She Left Hollywood Gilbert also praised him as a father figure to her youngest son, Michael, who she claimed Busfield "nurtured and guided" through angsty teen years. Near the conclusion of the letter, the 61-year-old lamented that she was no longer able to "protect" her husband in this difficult time. "Your Honor, this is the strangest letter I've ever had to write. I only want this extraordinary man safe and whole," she said. "Please, please, take care of my sweet husband. As he is my protector, I am his, but I cannot protect him now and I think that, more than anything else, is what is truly breaking my heart, I am relying on [you] to protect him for me." Timothy Busfield Albuquerque Police Department via Getty Images As Us previously reported, an arrest warrant was issued for Busfield's arrest on January 9 after he was accused of inappropriately touching two twin boys on the set of The Cleaning Lady. According to the complaint, the actor allegedly touched the child actors in their "private areas," picked them up and tickled them on several occasions between 2022 and 2024. Tim Busfield Could Face 15 Years in Prison If Convicted Amid Child Abuse Case Although Busfield admitted to police that it was "highly likely" he had come into physical contact with the boys on set, he denied all abuse charges and pledged to "confront" the "lies" allegedly being told about him. His attorney, Larry Stein, additionally alleged that his client had already "submitted to an independent polygraph examination regarding those allegations and passed." In a new motion to oppose his pretrial incarceration, his legal team claimed there was "no reliable proof" to support the accusations against him. "[There are] only allegations advanced by witnesses with documented histories of fraud and financial exploitation, contradicted by a comprehensive studio investigation, and refuted by witnesses and objective risk assessments," the court documents obtained by Us claimed. "The Constitution does not allow liberty to be forfeited on such a foundation. The state's motion should be denied." If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.