Judge Throws Out Lawsuits Against Former 'Elmo' Actor
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A judge in New York has tossed out three lawsuits brought by men who said former Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash sexually abused them when they were underage.
Federal Judge Kevin Koeltl threw out the lawsuits Monday. He said the claims came more than six years after each man reasonably should have become aware of Clash's alleged violations and more than three years after each turned 18.
The statute of limitations gives them three years after turning 18 to file suit, WCBS 880's Irene Cornell reported. One of the plaintiffs waited 15 years to file a lawsuit.
Judge Throws Out Lawsuits Against Former 'Elmo' Actor
There's at least one other lawsuit pending.
All three complaints used identical language saying they had met Clash as teenagers or in gay chat rooms and that he brought them to New York to have sex in his apartment but didn't realize they were victims until 2012.
All claimed that they were compliant victims but were not psychologically prepared for a sexual relationship with a grown man
As Cornell reported, Judge Koeltl said the statute of limitations is intended to promote justice by preventing the revival of claims that had been allowed to slumber.
Clash resigned from "Sesame Street" in November. He was the man behind the popular furry red monster for 28 years.
His resignation came after college student Cecil Singleton sued him for more than $5 million, accusing Clash of having sex with him when he was 15. Singleton's lawsuit was among those thrown out Monday.
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