Three lawsuits against Kevin Clash dismissed

Former Sesame Street puppeteer Kevin Clash is celebrating a court victory after a New York judge dismissed three underage sex complaints against him. The disgraced voice of Elmo resigned from the hit children’s programme in November (12) after he was accused of engaging in sexual activities with college student Cecil Singleton while he was just 15.
Further complaints against the gay actor emerged in the following months, although one man subsequently recanted his story and voluntarily dropped his suit.
Clash’s lawyer appealed to Manhattan federal Judge John Koeltl in May (13) to throw out three lawsuits, including Singleton’s, as they are barred by the statute of limitations, which gives alleged sex crime victims three years to file once they turn 18 – a deadline all plaintiffs failed to meet.
Judge Koeltl agreed and ruled in Clash’s favour during a court hearing on Monday (01Jul13). Legal representatives for the three plaintiffs are considering an appeal.
Clash, 52, is not yet in the clear over the underage sex allegations – another lawsuit filed against him is still pending.