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“Elmo” Voice Kevin Clash Accused of Sex with Teenage Boy; Actor Denies Charges

9:45 am, November 12th, 2012

(GettyImages.com)

Kevin Clash, the voice of Elmo on “Sesame Street,” has taken a leave of absence from the show amid allegations he had a sexual relationship with a teenage boy.

A 23-year-old man claims he and Clash began the relationship seven years ago, when he was just 16.

Clash has reportedly acknowledged being involved with the unidentified man as an adult, but strongly denies the accusations that their sexual history began when the man was still underage.

Sesame Workshop has met with the accuser and investigated his claims, reportedly determining that the underage sex allegations are unsubstantiated, according to TMZ.

A series of messages between Clash and the accuser do not directly indicate a sexual relationship, although Sesame Workshop personnel have reportedly deemed them an inappropriate use of company e-mail.

Clash calls the allegations false and defamatory.

In a statement to TMZ, the voice actor says, “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.”

As for the leave of absence, Sesame Workshop explains, “Kevin insists that these allegations are false and defamatory and he has taken actions to protect his reputation. We have granted him a leave of absence to do so.”

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  • Glow

    Sad, Sad and sad :-(

  • guest

    I’m not going so far as to say the accuser is making it up, but it’s always suspicious when an accuser goes to lawyers for Sesame Street (i.e. to garner a settlement) first rather than law enforcement authorities. Maybe the accuser went to Sesame Street first to warn them about Clash’s alleged behavior and didn’t do so to ask for money – we don’t know. 16 years old is not an age that would be involved with Sesame Street productions unless he was an actor or an intern of some kind, so there is a big question mark as to whether this even involved the workplace (but even if it didn’t, the public relations ramifications are bad). Based on the timeline of events, it seems very possible the accuser became involved with Clash when he became an adult seeing it as a meal ticket to later restate the age the affair started. It also seems possible the accuser is telling the truth. For now, I’m inclined to give Clash the benefit of the doubt.

  • http://www.youtube.com zorbitor

    I guess now its Tickle Me…But Not Me Elmo

  • martina

    Why I am not surprised? And then some people going berserk when certain individuals see pedophiles and homosexuals in the same box. Well………

  • rd

    have you ever known a 16 year old boy? I’ve never known one that would refuse sex. I wouldn’t even consider someone having consensual sex with a 16 year old a pedophile. And the fact that this guy waiting 5 years after he was 18 to say something? He was just waiting until they stopped fooling around and now he’s just after the money.

  • Martina

    16 year old is a child. Regardless of your opinion, I can assure you that these exact opinions as you are presenting are the reason that people do not pay attention to rape when it comes to kids aged 15, 16. You would say differently if you had your own kids. It is a rape. 16 year old person has no maturity to make hisher own decision they would regret them, they have no ability to make valid responsible decisions. Its up to the parent, and in this case , its up to the adult who has been engged in this situacion. He needs to be in control of hmself , as he is the responsible one in the eye of the law. With your kind of thinking, in a few yers, people would believe, kids aged 11 can have sex. They are not maturde enough to live the experience to not suffer later on. And just because someone is, that does not mean it applies to all children. Therefor , children need to be protected from deviants who pray on them. We are homo sapiens, we have the brain that should anble us to behave like one. Take away the responsibility of an adult and place it on the shoulders of the child is disgusting.

    You don’t know what is behind it, but you seem to quckly jump to conclusion that this kid is after money. Well, I don’t know how would you feel if you would be raped and someone said that about you.

    Not to mention that this is a child program and now kids around the world may relate their faverite show to pedophile and rape.

  • Chloe

    This is terrible and sad I pray it is not true. But, either way the accuser has seriously damaged Clash’s reputation.

  • rd

    Sixteen is not a child. If it were so, then kindly explain how I was
    able, in just a couple of minutes, to find out that it is legal to marry
    at age 16 or YOUNGER in EVERY SINGLE STATE in the US with parental
    consent. That is a FACT- not an opinion. And I DO have a daughter. It is
    insulting to compare consensual sex with rape. Rape is a violent act.
    As for kids relating Sesame Street to rape- that would only be so if
    their parents were stupid enough to tell them about what happened.
    Preschoolers have no need to know about adult activities.

  • Martina

    I dont know how old are you, specially when you are mother yourself with those information you producing but, again, 16 years old is a child. And it is sad that you need I be told that.
    When you mentioned parents ability to sign a consent form for their child to get married, you answered to yourself at the same time, which seems that you failed to see it. Exactly parent signature is needed that should tell you that child that is 16 years old is not able to make legal decision, can not get married, can not vote, can not have sex. Parents, if you don’t know, are legal guardians of this child, and this consent you mentioned is actualy right for parent to make a decision in extreme situations or a child!!! It is not right for the child to make decisions as kids have no legal rights to represent themselves. Does not telling you that anything?
    Is this a fact for your child? Or is this an option ? Are you telling me that you raising your child to the possibility that you may sign a form to let her get married at 16?
    Or should you not raise your daughter to the possibility of the option she should have? That she has a choice and her choice will affect her life? That she should have a sex when she is mature mentally and fysically, with someone she love an is worth it?
    Did you not understand that the law you mentioned should be the last choice when parenting failed?
    Or does it mean that we are going to wed our kids at 16 on daily bases? Are you getting what I trying to explain you here? It is sad you stating it as a fact, because it should be the last result choice. And any mother who believe her child should marry at 16 is actually natural harm to her child.
    If you have a daughter I should not really answering your question as every mother supposed to protect her kids not to justify man who is getting in their bed while she is only 16 year old.
    I for sure, did not bring my daughter to this world, and raise to look at her how is she damaging her life, and if I would know she is having a sex while she is 16 I will find that person she has been with and I can assure you he will rest in jail! And you know why? Because its rape and its illegal! Because in almost every civilised country in this world, if a child is found to have a sex at 16, it is considered as a rape. Because law is securing our children until they are adults so they are able to make mistakes and learn from them and nobody should take an advantage of them. If 16 year old kid is having sex and become pregnant, how will she take responsibility for her action? And are you aware that if your 16 year old daughter will become pregnant, social service is involved, that affecting other kids in family, and father of the child will investigated, put on sex offenders list, unable to have a passport, unable to travel, unable to live?
    Should I educate my kids to have life like this? Or should I protect them as I supposed to?
    What kind of parent is actually letting their 16 year old to have a sex???
    Sex at 16 is rape, an you know why? Because it is violating their right to stay protected by state, adults, society, because they have the rights to grow untouched, because we as parents have this law to protecting them from Pedophiles and predators! But at this point I feel that this law also protecting them from their own parents if we need to argue why they should not have sex at 16. And in this case, they need to be protected, cos they are only 16. They are just kids.
    Do you know why in most cases kids will not get to the prison? For the same reason they can not have sex at 16! Because this law allowing them to grow up, and giving them the time to making mistakes and learn from them, without the consequences . But in those cases, when family failing to protecting them from illegal behaviour, kids are taking from family. Why do you think is that? Because if we let kids, who having their parent’s as their role model that teaching them that its ok to shoplift, kill, or whatever, or failing to teach them the opposite, they are danger to themselves and society.
    If we have the law that telling us that 16 year old should be considered as a child in eyes of the law, does not that telling you that he should be protected and you as a mother should be the one who making decision in your child best interest? Cos you are responsible, not that child! Child is not able have consensual sex because its a child, because child is not able to make a solid responsible decision. Because child who is looking up to a cool person who is telling him— ” it’s ok to have sex, everybody does it”, “it’s ok to do this in bed”, ” it’s ok to feel pain”, ” it ok not to use condom”, …..and then your child will tell you, -”well, mum, but he said that’s ok, so I thought its ok, does not it?!”
    Because when your kid will come home and say, -” mom, I did not really wanted to do it, you have this law as a gun in your hand to protect your crying child who did not know what she was doing- cos she is just a child, and you can go after that bastard who took that innocence from her, as a right mother!
    It is not violent to compare consensual sex to rape when child is 16, but is certainly violent and violation of children rights if anybody actually defending child molesters and Pedophiles. That is really violent.
    When it comes to Sesame Street….I don’t know where you live and how, but this is not a bubble you are in, bit an open society, and children has eyes and ears, an they also has mouth and tongue so they are able to ask questions. And unless you have a kids DVD on 24/7 , there is something called News and remote control that any 10 year old can operate. An that 10 year old, remembered watching Sesame Street is watching news to see this man accused of rape, and he is puzzled! Question arising, and child is looking for an answer. And are you telling me that this is the world you like your children to live in? Where their imaginations of child dreams full of heroes and cartoon friends is shattered by words like Pedophiles and rape? Kids world should be anything but that!
    Last point, if there are mothers who letting their 16 year old kids have a sex, and educating them about their rights to get married at 16 and failingto protect them, mother who was stupid enough let her child overhear her conversation or let him be in control of tv remote….is hardly even icing on the cake!

  • rd

    good grief, get over yourself. If you really believe that teenagers are not having sex, you are sadly delusional. And logic says that if it is legal for a 16 year old to get married, then it is not rape. I’m betting your kids are little and with your paranoid attitude, they are likely going to be the very ones getting knocked up because you are going to assume that they wouldn’t ever have sex before they are 18 and therefore will give them no information. Parents don’t “allow” their teens to have sex, but it’s a FACT that the teens do it anyway. It’s the parent’s job to educate them so they don’t get into trouble. BTW, my daughter is 25 years old, did not have sex until she was over 18, and has never been knocked up. But if she did have sex at 16, I would have made sure she had the knowledge to do it safely, instead of freaking out and yelling rape, because once the sex starts, anyone with a rational thought in their head knows it’s not going to stop just because Paranoid Mommy wants it to.

  • rd

    Well, well, well. Big surprise. The accuser has recanted his claim that the relationship started when he was 16. He now says he was of age. Wasn’t after money? *snork*

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