Elmo puppeteer quits after second sex claim is filed

Sesame Street’s Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash has resigned from the show in the wake of allegations that he had sex with an under-aged youth.

Last week a man accused Clash of having sex with him when he was a teenager, a charge he denied. A day later, the man withdrew his claims.

But a lawsuit by a second accuser was filed today.

The show’s production company Sesame Workshop called the controversy surrounding Clash’s personal life “a distraction that none of us want” and led to his decision to leave the show.

Clash created the voice and persona for Elmo, who has become one of Sesame Street’s most popular characters.