Kevin Clash, the embattled puppeteer and former voice of Elmo from "Sesame Street," has been cleared of the last lawsuit filed against him for child sex abuse.
A Pennsylvania judge dismissed the case against the 53-year-old on Thursday, ruling that the statute of limitations expired, CBS Baltimore reported. A spokesperson for the puppeteer said Clash is thankful the law was on his side.
"Kevin is gratified that once again the courts have dismissed the claims against him," Nicholas Peters of CommCore Consulting Group told CBS Baltimore.
"We believe we are finally at the point as a team where we can begin to turn our full attention to restoring Kevin's personal and professional reputation over the coming weeks and months so he may regain his rightful place as an accomplished and respected artist."
The lawsuit was one of several that men filed claiming Clash sexually abused them when they were underage. A New York judge previously tossed out three other cases against Clash because the statute of limitations had passed.
The scandal forced Clash to resign from "Sesame Street" in 2012 after 28 years.
Sheldon Stephens, who filed the last suit in 2013, said he met Clash at a New York event for models when he was 16, according to the New York Daily News, and that the relationship later turned sexual and went on for several years.
Stephens eventually recanted his accusation against Clash, only to change his claim again and file the lawsuit in Pennsylvania.
But U.S. District Judge Christopher Conner said Stephens, 25, waited too long to sue. New York law grants individuals the right to file a lawsuit until age 19, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Stephen's lawyer, Jeff Harman, told the WSJ that the judge's decision indicates New York's statute of limitations should be extended to give victims more time.
© 2025 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
