A Miami man has become the fourth to accuse Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash of sex abuse when he wasa teenager in the 1990s.
The alleged victim, “John Doe,” now age 33, met Clash when the puppeteer vacationed in South Florida sometime about 1995 or ’96, said his attorney, Jeff Herman of Aventura.
“He was on South Beach looking for a job when he met Kevin. He was going in and out of stores in South Beach. That’s when Kevin saw him,” Herman told The Miami Herald.
After Clash, now 52, returned home to New York, he stayed in touch with the teen by telephone. Soon, he invited the boy to visit him, Herman said.
“He had previously been abused before,” Herman said of the teen. “He was hesitant to go to New York, but Kevin convinced him he’d be a father figure to him. Kevin used the word ‘dad.’ Once there, it was a sexual thing.”
Four days later, the “homesick” teen returned to South Florida, Herman said.
Clash — the original voice of TV puppet Elmo — resigned from Sesame Street after a second man alleged abuse.
His New York attorney, Michael Berger, has denied the puppeteer did anything wrong in the previous cases. Berger has not commented on the newest allegation.
Herman described the latest accuser, originally from the Caribbean, as “a compliant victim.”
“A compliant victim participates in the sexual contact. They can’t consent because they are too young,” said Herman, who also is representing three other alleged Clash victims.
Herman declined to identify the latest alleged victim, who still lives in Miami-Dade County.
“Unfortunately, he’s had a lot of problems I see in other victims,” said Herman, who also represents other alleged abuse victims who have sued the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts. “He’s had addictions, antisocial behavior including trouble with the law. He’s been arrested for theft. His life was really a mess. Hopefully, this will be a stepping stone for him to take back the power to heal.”
Herman explains why the accuser never before told his story:
“The reason the he’s able to come forward now is that, I believe, there’s this collective empowerment,” Herman said. “They never feel anyone’s going to believe them. When they see other victims coming forward, they think maybe they will believe me. Maybe its safe to come forward.”
Fourth victim accuses Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash of sexual abuse
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Fourth victim accuses Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash of sexual abuse
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Fourth victim accuses Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash of sexual abuse
