Kevin Clash (Elmo Puppeteer) Exits Sesame Street over allegations (may be disturbing)

[BabyBearsMom]

http://gawker.com/5959706/elmo-voice-actor-kevin-clash-exits-sesame-street-over-allegations-of-underage-sex-with-teen-boy

Wow, just wow! After seeing the Elmo documentary, I feel like this is especially shocking. My DD1 is obsessed with Elmo, he is a part of our household and reading this article has thrown me for a loop.

[wellyes]

I hope the accessions are untrue, for everyone's sake.

[wellyes]

Update - the accuser has recanted
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57549326-504083/elmo-accuser-recants-sex-abuse-claim-against-puppeteer-kevin-clash/
It was a terrible accusation, shame on him.

[LMPC]

Uck, shame on him indeed. What a horrible thing to accuse someone of if not true :(

[MamaMolly]

I've been thinking about this since the story broke. No way around it, an awful situation for Kevin Clash to be in. If it were true...sheesh!

[buddyleebaby]

Well, I'm glad the sex abuse was not true, obviously, but I still am wondering what was going on that he was disciplined...the second article just briefly mentions him not following internet policy or something and I'm curious to how that relates to the original story.

It is sad and disturbing.

[ZeeBaby]

It is really disturbing when people lie about abuse. So unfair to the person abused and those who have been victims.

[maestramommy]

Well, I'm glad the sex abuse was not true, obviously, but I still am wondering what was going on that he was disciplined...the second article just briefly mentions him not following internet policy or something and I'm curious to how that relates to the original story.

It is sad and disturbing.

maybe the other person was a subordinate, or in some position where Clash should have known better than to have an affair with him. It's also possible they exchanged sexy emails or something, on the company email.

[kwc]

One story I read said he used Sesame Workshop email... and that the leave of absence was requested by Clash.

The story also mentioned that the accuser went straight to Sesame Workshop with the accusation... sounds like no police report ever filed, which raised suspicions from the beginning that he might have been looking for a civil settlement rather than criminal action.

Whole thing is very sad. Isn't Clash married with kids? If so, sad for his family, too.

[StantonHyde]

Whole thing is very sad. Isn't Clash married with kids? If so, sad for his family, too.

Clash is a divorced father of a grown daughter. He is gay.

[codex57]

One story I read said he used Sesame Workshop email... and that the leave of absence was requested by Clash.

The story also mentioned that the accuser went straight to Sesame Workshop with the accusation... sounds like no police report ever filed, which raised suspicions from the beginning that he might have been looking for a civil settlement rather than criminal action.


From what I read, that's what it sounds like.

[HannaAddict]

An earlier report said clash said it was a "consensual relationship" so no idea what the ages were at the time.

[hwin708]

Both said it was a consensual relationship, and they met when the accuser was 16. The accuser said the sexual aspect started before he turned 18, which Clash denied.

Apparently, the young man approached Sesame Street with the accusation last year. They did an investigation and determined the accusation to be false. And then the young man filed charges and took the story public a few days ago.

Reports said the young man's lawyers have been negotiating with Clash's lawyers regarding a settlement. Given that he is now recanting his previous story, it seems a settlement was reached, and he was likely paid a large sum of money for it.

My best guess is that the two men had a relationship (which both acknowledged) but that any sex did indeed happen after the young man was 18. He decided last year to extort Clash for money, and claimed that the sexual relationship began before he was of legal age. Sesame Street investigated those claims and found them to be false, offering the accuser no monetary gain. So he upped his game, took it public, guessing - correctly - that they would pay up to squash the public scandal quickly. At which point, he recanted his story.

It is certainly still possible that the sexual relationship did indeed begin when he was younger than the age of consent, and he chose to pursue monetary over legal justice. But I find it hard to put any real weight behind the words of someone who is so clearly bent on monetary gain. Unfortunately, that cloud of uncertainty will now forever hang over Clash's head, and Sesame Street studio for their perceived role in some kind of "cover up." And real victims will forever have to worry that their story will be doubted due to opportunists like this.

[jse107]

The accuser recanted his statements this morning.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/13/man-says-relationship-with-elmo-puppeteer-adult-consensual/?hpt=hp_t3

[BabyBearsMom]

It really is an awful thing to do to accuse someone of something like this and then recant, especially given Clash's profession, just so you can extort money from someone. Really awful.

[wendibird22]

Just playing devil's advocate but what if he recanted because he realized there was no way he was going to win going up against Sesame. Perhaps he didn't file a criminal complaint because the burden of proof is higher and he didn't think he could win or he didn't want jail time for a former lover. Perhaps he thought he had more chance with a civil claim with minimally "hush" money coming his way. Plenty of sexual assault/misconduct cases never get heard or get recanted when the story goes public and the scrutiny and burden of proof is on the survivor. To me there's not enough public information to know what really happened and so I reserve judging either side.