Timothy Busfield could face a lengthy prison sentence if convicted of the child sex abuse charges currently held against him. The Bernalilo County District Attorney's Office held a press conference on Thursday, January 15, stating that under New Mexico law, Busfield, 68, could serve a total of 15 years in prison if given the maximum sentence after being charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor under 13 (each count carries up to six years in jail) and one count of child abuse earlier this week (carries up to three years in jail). "The DA's office in Albuquerque takes very seriously these type of charges, just like we do all the cases. Our job is to hold people accountable and that's what we do," DA Sam Bregman stated during the conference. "I have personally tried cases of child abuse and sexual assault and ... we hold everybody accountable and they are extremely serious." Busfield made his first appearance in a New Mexico courtroom on Wednesday, January 14, where he decided not to enter a plea. The director was subsequently ordered to remain in police custody. Melissa Gilbert and Husband Timothy Busfield's Relationship Timeline Bregman stated on Thursday that Busfield's case has now been transferred to district court. His first hearing will take place on January 20 to determine if he will remain in custody or released pending trial. Formal charges will be brought after the initial hearing. Busfield will then be arraigned on those formal charges and a trial date will be set. While Bregman stressed that he would not talk about the "facts" or "specifics" of the case at this time, he stressed that "anyone" with information regarding the matter should contact law enforcement. "Our priority is to protect the rights of everyone involved. that is why at this time, we will not discuss the facts of this case," Bregman explained. "We understand, trust me, there is great interest regarding the facts and the specific of his matter. But my first obligation and the obligation of my office is to ensure the integrity of this process. The rules of professional conduct are clear: the prosecutors should try cases in the courtroom and not in the media. And that is what we intend to do." VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images) Busfield surrendered himself to local law enforcement on January 13, days after he was issued an arrest warrant amid accusations he inappropriately touching two child actors on the set of Fox's The Cleaning Lady. "I'm going to confront these lies. They're horrible. They're all lies, and I did not do anything to those little boys," Busfield claimed in a video obtained by TMZ, denying the allegations. "I'm going to fight it. I'm going to fight it with a great team, and I'm going to be exonerated. I know I am because this is all so wrong and all lies." After Busfield's arrest, he allegedly submitted to a polygraph test to substantiate his denial. "Tim Busfield denies the allegations in the criminal complaint and maintains they are completely false," the actor's lawyer, Larry Stein, told Us in a statement. "As a voluntary step, he submitted to an independent polygraph examination regarding those allegations and passed." According to the United States Department of Justice, there is no set standard regarding so-called "lie detector" tests and whether they are admissible in court. "The government continues to have several good arguments for excluding polygraph evidence," a statement on the DOJ website reads. "First, a prosecutor can still attack the reliability of polygraph evidence both generally and as administered in the case at hand." Where Is Melissa Gilbert Now? Inside Her Life After 'Little House on the Prairie' Attorneys often argue whether polygraph tests are reliable, properly administered, misleading or prejudicial to a client's right to a fair trial. As for Busfield's case, he previously spoke with New Mexico investigators about the accusations. Busfield claimed in the arresting warrant that he didn't "really remember" whether he touched the children between scenes. "Timothy said it was a playful environment like he wanted," a police officer wrote in docs obtained by Us, alleging that Busfield said there was "no protocol" about touching kids on set. "Timothy initially said, 'It's not allowed at all. There is no, there's no protocol. I mean, I'm always around people, right? It would be, you know, in front of the parents. I don't remember it, if it happened. I don't remember overtly tickling the boys ever but it wouldn't be uncommon for me." Busfield has been married to Little House on the Prairie alum Melissa Gilbert since 2013, who has since issued a statement of support in the wake of her husband's arrest. "During this period, her focus is on supporting and caring for their very large family, as they navigate this moment," a spokesperson for Gilbert, 61, told Us after Busfield's arrest. "Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time."