Voice of Elmo on leave from Sesame Street after he was accused of having 'sexual relationship with underage boy'

[WestVirginiaRebel]

UK Daily Mail:

The man who voices the puppet of Elmo on Sesame Street has taken leave amid allegations he had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy.

Kevin Clash, 52, has taken a leave of absence from the popular children's show after the programme's lawyers were contacted by a 23-year-old man who claims he had a sexual relationship with the puppeteer seven years ago, when he was aged 16.

TMZ, who reported the allegations, said that Mr Clash had admitted he had a relationship with the man, but only after the accuser was an adult and said the accusations were both false and defamatory.

'I had a relationship with [the accuser]. It was between two consenting adults and I am deeply saddened that he is trying to make it into something it was not,' said Mr Clash who joined Sesame Street in the mid-80s,

The website reported that after the accuser's initial meeting with Sesame Street lawyers, he felt that that he was being silenced so he hired a lawyer.

He is now being represented by Andreozzi and Associates - the firm that worked with one of the victims in the Jerry Sandusky child rape case.

In August, the accuser's lawyers wrote a letter to Sesame Street accusing the programme of trying to 'discredit the victim in order to protect its employee and the image of one of its most valuable characters,'

The letter also claimed the show's attitude 'places a greater value on a puppet than the well being of a young man.'

But Sesame Workshop officials told TMZ they found the the allegation of underage sex was unsubstantiated after a thorough investigation.

They claim rather than trying to hush up the accuser, they asked for evidence of his allegations, which was not received.

________

 

Don't tickle me, Elmo?

[pollyannaish]

That is really sad. I am not a fan of government funding of CTW. That said, I watched a documentary on Kevin Clash and he is an amazingly talented man. I hope and pray this is not true. If it is not, I really hope that it does not ruin his career. If it is, I will be profoundly disappointed and angered at the waste of two lives.

[Valin]

OH Boy!!!

 

Question: What if the story isn't true? These days just be accused of something like this can ruin a persons life.

[pollyannaish]

OH Boy!!!

 

Question: What if the story isn't true? These days just be accused of something like this can ruin a persons life.

 

I know. I have to say I always hold back on stories like this. It is FAR, FAR too easy to ruin a person's life with accusations.

[pollyannaish]

I just wanted to follow up on this story by saying that Kevin was cleared of any wrongdoing. I hate that people's lives can be ruined by accusations so I make it a point to go back and follow up.

 

 

http://abcnews.go.com/US/elmo-accuser-recants-allegations-underage-sex-kevin-clash/t/story?id=17710758

[clearvision]

How about another follow up....

 

Did Kevin Clash pay his accuser $125,000 to recant his story about an inappropriate sexual relationship?

These are the new allegations coming forward against Clash, the puppeteer behind the beloved children's character Elmo.

http://boston.com/community/moms/blogs/parent_buzz/2012/11/report_kevin_clash_paid_his_accuser_to_keep_silent.html

[pollyannaish]

Oh boy.

 

What a mess! None of them are trustworthy and if any one of them is innocent I feel bad!

[Valin]

I just wanted to follow up on this story by saying that Kevin was cleared of any wrongdoing. I hate that people's lives can be ruined by accusations so I make it a point to go back and follow up.

 

 

http://abcnews.go.com/US/elmo-accuser-recants-allegations-underage-sex-kevin-clash/t/story?id=17710758

 

How about another follow up....

 

Did Kevin Clash pay his accuser $125,000 to recant his story about an inappropriate sexual relationship?

These are the new allegations coming forward against Clash, the puppeteer behind the beloved children's character Elmo.

http://boston.com/community/moms/blogs/parent_buzz/2012/11/report_kevin_clash_paid_his_accuser_to_keep_silent.html

 

 

Thanks to both of you. The question is why make the payment? The thing is no matter how this turns out this guys life is ruined.