More Trouble for Former Elmo Actor
A third accuser stepped forward Tuesday claiming that the former Elmo puppeteer engaged in sex with a minor.
An unidentified 29-year-old man filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, claiming the longtime "Sesame Street" voice actor Kevin Clash offered him alcohol and engaged in sex more than 12 years ago.
The lawsuit said the alleged victim first met Clash after meeting on a gay telephone chat line. Clash, according to the lawsuit, was seeking underage boys, introduced himself as Craig, and stated he was 30 years of age, 10 less than Clash's actual age at the time. The accuser said he made it clear to Clash that his intentions were non-sexual and since he was trying to break into the New York modeling scene, professional.
Clash invited the minor to his apartment, offered him alcohol, and the pair engaged in sexual contact including oral sex, according to the lawsuit.
The accuser, who now lives in Florida, said he did not find out Clash's true identity until two years after the initial meeting. After turning 18, the accuser moved to New York and began a sexual relationship with Clash.
The lawsuit said the accuser was a compliant victim who did not - until this year - fully grasp the psychological damage wrought by the sexual acts with Clash.
The lawsuit comes on the heels of two other claims against the former Elmo puppeteer, who resigned after voicing the "Sesame Street" character for more than 28 years. Clash denied the first claim, made by an anonymous accuser. He resigned after Cecil Singleton, 24, sued Clash for $5 million on account of sexual contact that began when Singleton was 15.
Clash's lawyer, Michael Berger, vowed to defend the reputation of his client and said the claims made against Clash are baseless.
