The Elmo puppeteer has taken a leave of absence from Sesame Street due to allegations of a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy.
Kevin Clash, had been the voice of Elmo for nearly 30 years, and said the boy’s allegations were “false and defamatory,” according to Reuters. The boy is now 23.
Clash said, “I am a gay man. I have never been ashamed of this or tried to hide it. I had a relationship with the accuser. It was between two consenting adults, and I am deeply saddened that he is characterizing it as something other than what it was.”
Sesame Workshop said Clash was “taking actions to protect his reputation” and that the Workshop had “granted him a leave of absence to do so.”
The Associated Press reports the relationship was “unrelated to the workplace.” The investigation said Clash had shown poor judgment and had violated company policy regarding Internet usage and was disciplined for this.
In a statement by Sesame Workshop, they said, “We took the allegation very seriously and took immediate action. We met with the accuser twice and had repeated communications with him. We met with Kevin, who denied the accusation.”
It is unclear when the relationship had happened, but in New York if a person is under 17 and the perpetrator is over 21 it is a felony.
https://tothecenter.com/2012/11/elmo-pupateer-taking-leave-of-abscense-due-to-sexual-allegations/
