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| FILE - In this Jan. 24, 2011 file photo, Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash poses with the "Sesame Street" muppet in the Fender Music Lodge during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Another Florida man is suing Clash, the former Elmo puppeteer who resigned amid sex abuse allegations, claiming the voice actor befriended him in Miami and promised to be a father figure before flying him to New York to have sex with him. |
MIAMI (AP) -- Another man on Monday sued the former Elmo puppeteer who resigned amid sex abuse allegations, claiming the voice actor befriended him in Miami and promised to be a father figure before flying the teen to New York to have sex with him.
The alleged victim is now
the fourth to accuse Kevin Clash, who resigned from "Sesame Street" last
month after 28 years. The three legal actions filed so far have been
civil cases seeking financial compensation.
But
the incident with the latest victim, referred to only as S.M., could
involve criminal charges because the lawsuit claims Clash transported
him across state lines for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity.
Attorney
Jeff Herman said he encouraged his client to report the incident to
authorities but it's unclear if the now-33-year-old alleged victim has
done so.
Sexual abuse allegations against
Clash triggered a media frenzy last month. He quickly denied the first
claim, which was recanted the next day. But Clash then resigned after a
24-year-old college student, Cecil Singleton, sued him for $5 million,
saying the actor engaged in sexual behavior with him when he was 15.
Singleton
claims the voice actor met him in New York a dozen years ago after
trolling gay telephone chat lines and seeking underage boys for sex.
In
the latest case, the plaintiff said Clash approached him on Miami
Beach, complimented his appearance and struck up a friendship. Clash
returned home to New York, but stayed in touch with the teen, promising
to be a dad to him. The youth, who was 16 or 17 at the time, had been
molested by a teacher and was considering running away from home,
according to the lawsuit.
"These are all
vulnerable boys. None of them had father figures in their lives and they
were looking for that father figure," said Herman, who represents three
of the alleged victims.
The lawsuit says
Clash paid for a plane ticket from Florida to New York in 1996 and
arranged for a car service to pick up the teen and bring him to his
upscale apartment, where he gave him cash and showered him with
"attention and affection" and ultimately engaged in numerous sexual
acts.
Herman said he is poring over receipts
and other documents to see if the car service was paid for by Clash's
employers at Sesame Street.
Clash's attorney
Michael Berger said in a statement that "the lawsuit is without merit
and we will vigorously defend the case and Mr. Clash's reputation."
Sesame
Street publicist Ellen Lewis said "we're confident in the actions that
we took," but declined further comment, saying it was an issue between
litigants.
Herman said the alleged victims
didn't come forward sooner because they were afraid, but have found
courage as others have spoken up.
He said they
are compliant victims who participated in the sexual acts, but didn't
consent because it's illegal for a minor to do so.
"Because
they participated in the sex they feel like they're doing something
wrong ... they're ashamed, they're embarrassed, not something they
really want to talk about," he said.
Herman said he's been contacted by several other possible victims and is vetting their cases.
