The final child sex abuse lawsuit against Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash has been dismissed and the Sesame Street alum, who resigned from the children’s TV series amid allegations of abuse, is looking to restore his reputation, his spokesman said.
A judge in Pennsylvania dismissed the last lawsuit, saying 25-year-old accuser Sheldon Stephens filed suit too late.
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Stephens has publicly accused Clash of luring him into a sexual relationship when he was a minor.
Federal Judge Christopher Conner says Stephens failed to sue by age 19 under laws in New York, where their meetings took place. Stephens had sued in Pennsylvania, where longer time limits apply.
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Clash’s lawyer, Michael Berger, says Clash can now move forward with his life. He had resigned from Sesame Street amid the accusations.
A judge in New York previously dismissed three other lawsuits against Clash by men who accused him of sexually abusing them when they were underage, also saying that the statute of limitations had run out.
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Clash’s spokesman said his client was “gratified that once again the courts have dismissed the claims against him” and is looking forward to being able to repair his client’s reputation.
“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,” Nicholas Peters of CommCore Consulting Group said in a statement.
