Former Elmo Puppeteer Facing Another Lawsuit over Underage Sex Allegations
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Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — The Elmo puppeteer who resigned from Sesame Street last November amid underage sex allegations has been sued by his initial accuser.
Twenty-four-year-old Sheldon Stephens filed his lawsuit Tuesday, according to The Baltimore Sun. The newspaper says he was the first man to make an underage sex claim against Kevin Clash.
After alleging last year that he had a sexual relationship with Clash when he was a minor, Stephens — unidentified in reports at the time — recanted. He’s now standing by his initial claim.
In his lawsuit, Stephens alleges that he met Clash at a social networking event when he was 16, and that they eventually engaged in sexual activity “over a period of years.”
Three other men have filed similar lawsuits against Clash. The puppeteer, who’s 52, has denied the allegations.
After the initial allegation, and before his resignation from Sesame Street, Clash said in a statement, “I had a relationship with the accuser. It was between two consenting adults, and I am deeply saddened that he is trying to characterize it as something other than what it was.”
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