Accuser Recants Allegation Against Elmo Puppeteer

[babylonsister]

Accuser Recants Allegation Against Elmo Puppeteer
By BRIAN STELTER and ELIZABETH JENSEN


5:29 p.m. | Updated The man who accused Kevin Clash, the voice and puppeteer of the “Sesame Street” character Elmo, of an underage sexual relationship has recanted that claim, his lawyer said on Tuesday. The reversal came a day after the claim was first published by the gossip Web site TMZ.

Mr. Clash has taken a leave of absence from Sesame Workshop, the organization that produces “Sesame Street,” to challenge the allegations.

Andreozzi & Associates, a law firm that said it represented the accuser said in a statement that “he wants it to be known that his sexual relationship with Mr. Clash was an adult consensual relationship.” The statement added, “He will have no further comment on the matter.”

The accuser’s identity has not been disclosed.

Mr. Clash said through a spokeswoman: “I am relieved that this painful allegation has been put to rest. I will not discuss it further.”

more...

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/accuser-recants-allegation-against-elmo-puppeteer/?smid=FB-nytimes&WT.mc_id=BU-E-FB-SM-LIN-ARA-111312-NYT-NA&WT.mc_ev=click

[sabrina 1]

1. His ID should be disclosed. The IDs of both the accuser and the accused should either be

kept secret until there is a conviction, or both should be disclosed. Now that he admits to an adult consensual relationship, there is no reason to withhold his ID. And people who make false allegations should suffer consequences for doing so.

[msanthrope]

3. Mr. Clash obviously does not wish this. And, the name is already available to those who wish it.

If Mr. Clash wants to let it drop, then I think he gets to do that....

Besides, Elmo, and the children of American need him.

[sabrina 1]

25. It's not Mr. Clash's decision to make. Making false allegations of a crime against

someone is a crime itself. It is not in the interests of society to allow people to get away with ruining people's lives for malicious purposes.

Unless of course he was telling the truth and is taking a pay-off in return for retracting the allegations. That would explain the victim not wanting it to go any further.

And from one of the links below, it appears money is being discussed. Why would money be involved if the accusation was false?

Or he agreed to tell the truth in return for money. All the more reason to prosecute him.

Blackmail is also a crime.

[msanthrope]

28. I find your speculations regarding Mr. Clash prurient, repugnant, and ill-formed.

Considering that you have defended Anwar Awlaki as a "non violent" cleric, who, according to you was in this country not 2 years before his death, you will have to forgive me if I eschew your character judgements.

Leave Elmo alone.

[sabrina 1]

29. I find your opinion matters nothing to me. If a crime was committed, ie, falsely

accusing someone of a crime for the purpose of harming an innocent person, and then used to blackmail someone, the identity of that individual should not be protected and they should be prosecuted.

Elmo is not a human being. Leave innocent people alone.

[msanthrope]

31. Mr. Clash is Elmo. Have some compassion for a victim, instead of self-righteously

telling us what you think a victim owes you.


http://beingelmo.com/


Watch, and learn something about the person you maligned. Christ--the godamn puppet seems to have a better sense of forgiveness, charity, and grace.

[Posteritatis]

5. If the victim doesn't want the whole mess dragged (more) through the media, that's the end of it. nt

[TroglodyteScholar]

11. Mr. Clash being the victim... n/t

[Posteritatis]

12. Absolutely. If he considers this resolved, then it is. (nt)

[TroglodyteScholar]

24. Agree. n/t

[msanthrope]

2. I'm glad!!! nt

[Mdterp01]

4. That is f*cked up!!!!!

I'm sorry but you can't just get away with doing that to someone. His sexual orientation is now out there and I'm sure coo coo for cocoa puff right wingers are throwing away their children's Elmo dolls because the guy behind the voice is gay. I feel so bad for the guy.

[msanthrope]

6. Who cares about his sexual orientation? Watchers of Sesame Street?

The parents of those watchers??? The rightwing stopped watching SS a long time ago. Who cares what they think.

As for the situation, I think it's terrible whenever someone's private business is public fodder, but I leave it to Mr. Clash to resolve it how he thinks best.

[babylonsister]

8. I feel really bad for the guy, too. This sucks; to get your name dragged through the mud?

How does anyone get over that?

[SoCalMusicLover]

7. The Accused Is Now The Victim

I'm sorry, but the only victim here, is Mr. Clash, whose reputation has now been irreparably damaged. Even though the charges have now been dropped, he will forever have this incident hanging over him, plus it is all over the internet, and as everybody knows, less people hear about the correction, so once the accusation is out there initially, it's too late to take back.

So far as I'm concerned, the accuser had malice and intended to do harm to Mr Clash's reputation. If in fact he was lying, and was absolutely not subject to "abuse" while underage, he should definitely be made public.

Why should his reputation not be on the line here? I guess it's fair game now to go accusing celebrities for things, and then when the heat gets turned up, you can just say...."sorry, my bad."

I think this will cause significant harm to Mr. Clash's reputation, as he works on a show geared towards children, and now that this is out there, I suspect his future is at the very least, in jeopardy, and if certain right-wing groups desired, they could probably protest his presence on Sesame Street.

[oberliner]

23. There were no charges to drop

There was an accusation, an investigation, a lack of evidence, and a leave of absence.

At no time was anyone charged with anything.

[jberryhill]

9. Well if that don't just tickle me... uh... never mind

[babylonsister]

10. ((snort)) nt

[msanthrope]

14. I miss the DUZYs. nt

[jberryhill]

15. I thought DUers showed great restraint when this story first broke

[msanthrope]

18. Well, it wasn't like Aleem Azis Mimbantas had died, or anything...

[babylonsister]

20. Right over my head... nt

[msanthrope]

21. He was a top official. There's a memoriam thread to him on DU that even won an award.....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002646945

[Marrah_G]

13. great so now this guy's career is shot......

[JVS]

16. By "adult consensual relationship" does the accuser mean that he was not underaged at the time?

[joeybee12]

17. Phuck Harvey Levin...nt

[msanthrope]

19. Not even with someone else's phallus. nt

[oberliner]

22. Six Figure Settlement?

"...the accuser's attorney had been meeting with Clash's attorney as recent as an hour ago, discussing a financial settlement and 6-figures were on the table."

http://www.tmz.com/2012/11/13/sesame-street-kevin-clash-accuser-retraction-recants-sex-allegations/#ixzz2C9dKYCVM

For some reason, the NY Times didn't include that portion of the TMZ story.

[JimDandy]

26. Hope Clash is the one getting the 6 figures in lieu of suing the liar for defamation. n/t

[hrmjustin]

27. Publicly shame this accuser.

[SoapBox]

30. Wouldn't Clash be able to sue the living hell out of the guy?

I say Elmo needs to go to court!

And Sesame Street/PBS BETTER support Clash and not spinelessly get rid of him.