Kevin "Elmo" Clash Resigns From "Sesame Street" After Second Underage Sex Accusation Surfaces

Kevin Clash, the famous voice and puppeteer behind Elmo for the last 28 years, has officially resigned from Sesame Street in the wake of allegations that he had sex with at least two under-aged minors. The first accuser recanted his allegations, but now a second accuser has already filed a lawsuit in New York seeking $5 million in damages, alleging that at age 15, he was persuaded by Clash to meet for sexual encounters.

Sesame Workshop, the organization behind the show, released a statement, saying "the controversy surrounding Kevin's personal life has become a distraction that none of us want... he can no longer be effective in his job, [and] this is a sad day for Sesame Street."

Clash was more than just "Elmo" to Sesame Street; He was also the show's senior Muppet coordinator and Muppet captain. For his work, he has won 23 daytime Emmy awards and one prime-time Emmy. He also published a best-selling autobiography, "My Life as a Furry Red Monster," and was the subject of the 2011 documentary "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey."