Elmo Puppeteer Kevin Clash Hit With a Second Underage Sex Lawsuit

Florida man claims the former Sesame Street star had an inappropriate relationship with him

By Peter Gicas, Baker Machado Nov 27, 2012 8:14 PMTags
Kevin Clash Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

It's anything but a sunny day for Kevin Clash.

A second man has now filed a lawsuit against the former Elmo puppeteer, claiming Clash had an inappropriate relationship with him when he 16.

The suit comes just one week after another individual, Cecil Singleton, filed a $5 million federal lawsuit against Clash, alleging he had sexual relations with the 52-year-old children's entertainer when he was only 15. Clash subsequently announced his resignation from Sesame Street.

Both lawsuits come on the heels of a 23-year-old aspiring model accusing Clash of having inappropriate sexual relations with him when he was 16. The accuser later recanted the allegations.

In the latest suit filed today in New York District court and obtained by E! News, the plaintiff, suing as John Doe, is a citizen of Florida and is now 29. He claims that at the age of 16, he went to New York for modeling opportunities and went on a gay chat line to meet friends. Doe says his intentions on the chat line were "non-sexual." The suit says Clash "trolled gay telephone chat line rooms to meet and have sex with underage boys."

In the lawsuit he claims that while on the sex line, Clash said his name was Craig and was 30 years old (Clash was 40 apparently at the time) and the two spoke on the phone for a couple of days until Clash invited Doe to his apartment in Manhattan.

During their meeting, Clash apparently gave Doe alcohol and the two then engaged in "sexual contact," which the complaint describes in graphic detail, before adding: "This was John's first sexual experience of this type."

Even though the alleged incident took place 13 years ago, Doe claims he did not start suffering from mental, psychological and emotional trauma from the sexual acts until 2012.

Clash's attorney told E! News on Tuesday, "The federal cases filed against Kevin Clash are without merit. The cases and Mr. Clash's reputation will be defended vigorously."

At a news conference in New York, the plaintiff's attorney, Jeff Herman, read a statement from his client to reporters: "I'm only coming forward as support for the two victims that were accused as liars. I, too, at first thought it was a money thing and wanted to stay silent, but Cecil's story reflects me and deserves validation...I pray that Kevin seeks help because under these sexual demons is an incredible man."

(Originally published Nov. 27, 2012, at 11:34 a.m. PT)