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Man Who Accused Elmo Puppeteer of Teen Sex Recants

Nov. 13, 2012 7:08pm Jason Howerton

Man Who Accused Elmo Puppeteer Kevin Clash of Teen Sex Recants

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 20: Puppeteer Kevin Clash and Elmo talk at the Apple Store Upper West Side on November 20, 2011 in New York City. (Credit: Getty Images)

NEW YORK (AP) — A man who accused Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash of having sex with him when he was a teenage boy has recanted his story.

In a quick turnabout, the man on Tuesday described his sexual relationship with Clash as adult and consensual.

Clash responded with a statement of his own, saying he is “relieved that this painful allegation has been put to rest.” He had no further comment.

The man, who has not identified himself, released his statement through the Harrisburg, Pa., law firm Andreozzi & Associates.

Sesame Workshop, which produces “Sesame Street” in New York, soon followed by saying, “We are happy that Kevin can move on from this unfortunate episode.”

The whirlwind episode began Monday morning, when Sesame Workshop startled the world by announcing that Clash had taken a leave of absence from “Sesame Street” in the wake of allegations that he had had a relationship with a 16-year-old.

Clash, a 52-year-old divorced father of a grown daughter, swiftly denied the charges of his accuser, who is in his early 20s. In that statement Clash acknowledged that he is gay but said the relationship had been between two consenting adults.

Though it remained unclear where the relationship took place, sex with a person under 17 is a felony in New York if the perpetrator is at least 21.

Sesame Workshop, which said it was first contacted by the accuser in June, had launched an investigation that included meeting with the accuser twice and meeting with Clash. Its investigation found the charge of underage conduct to be unsubstantiated.

Clash said on Monday he would take a break from Sesame Workshop “to deal with this false and defamatory allegation.”

Neither Clash nor Sesame Workshop indicated on Tuesday when he might return to the show, on which he has performed as Elmo since 1984.

Elmo had previously been a marginal character, but Clash, supplying the fuzzy red puppet with a high-pitched voice and a carefree, child-like personality, launched the character into major stardom. Elmo soon rivaled Big Bird as the face of “Sesame Street.”

Though usually behind the scenes, Clash meanwhile achieved his own measure of fame. In 2006, he published an autobiography, “My Life as a Furry Red Monster,” and he was the subject of the 2011 documentary “Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey.”

He has won 23 daytime Emmy awards and one prime-time Emmy.

Featured image via AP

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Comments (15)

GotMullet
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 8:46am
What does anyone expect? Adults are the ones always convincing the young to “come out”. Look at what the media is doing. They’re adults aren’t they? Geez… you can’t even watch prime time stuff anymore. This life style is predatory by nature, and now it is backed by the government. I am sure the next line segments PBS will be putting out are muppets explaining to little Susie and Billy that there are all kinds of families out there! And it is all good! Like the colors of the rainbow!

Bye bye, America. Bye bye humanity.

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TheEndIsComing
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 5:58am
Sesame Street always creeped me out, ever since I was young. Jim Henson died of AIDS. Now Elmo’s puppeteer is gay. This is Socialist propaganda at its best. Get the kids indoctrinated to all of this crap when they’re young, slowly, subtly, completely, all on PBS’ taxpayer’s dime.

American conservatives have been so stupid to continue to allow this right under our noses. ENOUGH! It’s time to take back America.

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- Oldphoto678
  Posted on November 14, 2012 at 8:22am
  You aren’t going to take back anything. You can’t take back something you never had. Take back America? Hell, you’ll be lucky if we let you and your ilk stay in America. Traitor!
  
  Report this comment
BlessedONE333
Posted on November 14, 2012 at 3:25am
I ALWAYS KNEW ELMO WAS GAY

but I wonder how much money they gave the victim to shut up

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- Master.Debater
  Posted on November 14, 2012 at 6:34am
  Bert and Ernie are totally gay too.
  
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Verceofreason
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 10:44pm
End of non story.
Let’s hear what Dinesh D’Douza’s wife has to say,

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jhubbard
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 9:47pm
I heard, if he agreed to drop the allegations, he’d get a percentage of the profits from the new Molest Me Elmo doll.

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TJexcite
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 8:47pm
Something about proof and statutes of limitations showed up and it ended there. OR a nice fat check.

It still would have been fun to see if this went as long as Penn State and Jerry Sandusky with multiply victims.

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- DADDYWOREAWHITEHAT
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 9:43pm
  I’m guessing there are multiple victims. And they will all be coming out gagng from how fast the1st victim got a nice fat check.
  
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AbrahamsSheepdog
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 8:45pm
Burts missing, Oscar well he’s in the tunnels with Jon Connor, skywalker may use cookies to catch “you know who, back at deksters lab pinky woody bugs making scooby snacks. Batman got double crossed by..wonderwoman. Gi Joe tried to tell us “santa is coming” and got it from coyote&elmer. Well kids Christmas is gonna be a story for sure. You like elves now but wait til it gets dark

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- AbrahamsSheepdog
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 9:06pm
  Then one night, well all was afluter..sounds on the roof
  tom ran to his mother quiet she said so I did cause I love her. “Your Dads on his way, hold on little man” I remembered my roots, my fears went away. See my Dad is special and just minutes from home. Hes out fighting rascals, darth vaders of old. But my Dad is mighty mouse, or just Superman. I reminded my brothers as we smiled again.
  
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KingCanon
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 8:42pm
Gays protecting gays. What a surprise!

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ZengaPA65
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 8:36pm
If he’s not an elmolestor does that mean they’re just elmosexual?

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AbrahamsSheepdog
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 8:27pm
Paid 2 mill from big bird subs. Have fun with our $…everybody else does. I hope my money has fun!

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BODYBAG
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 8:26pm
High profile Regime supporter & weapon [big bird]. Same thug time — Same thug channel.
Wonder what they threatened the accuser with?

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