Three Lawsuits Against Puppeteer Clash Dropped

Three of four pending lawsuits against Kevin Clash alleging sexual abuse have been dismissed.

Three cases filed in New York were dismissed Monday by a U.S. District Court judge, according to a report in the Baltimore Sun.

The judge ruled the claims were all filed after New York's statute of limitations for lawsuits alleging sexual abuse, according to the Sun report.

Clash, a Turner Station native and Dundalk High School graduate, was internationally known as the voice and heart of Elmo, one of Sesame Street's more well-knowm Muppets.

The puppeteer took a leave of absence from his job in November when he was first accused of having sex with a teen-aged boy.

When a second accuser came forward shortly afterward, Clash resigned from his job to devote all his time to clearing his name, he said at the time.

Eventually, he became the subject of five lawsuits. One case was voluntarily dismissed in April, according to the Sun, and one filed in Pennsylvania is still active.

Sheldon Stephens, 24, is the accuser in the Pennsylvania lawsuit. Pennsylvania law allows alleged victims of sexual abuse to file suits until they reach the age of 30, according to the Sun.

Clash has vehemently denied the allegations, stating that he had consensual sex with the men only after they reached the legal age of consent.