Melissa Gilbert is jumping to the defense of her husband Timothy Busfield … speaking out publicly for the first time since he was charged with sexual contact of a minor — addressing prior sexual assault allegations she says she was aware of for a long time.

Gilbert — who appeared on ‘GMA’ alongside her attorney Larry Stein — says the past few months have been “traumatic,” adding that she waited to speak until now after seeing what she describes as widespread misinformation.

During the interview … George Stephanopoulos points to Busfield’s criminal complaint, which references two prior sexual assault allegations back in 1994 and 2012 — one of which was settled — and asks Gilbert directly if she was aware.

She says the two of them discussed the claims at length … and she strongly believes Busfield’s side of the story — saying he’ll ultimately have the opportunity to clear his name.