Kevin Clash -- the man known as the voice of Elmo -- has taken a leave of absence from Sesame Street
in the wake of allegations he had a sexual relationship with a
16-year-old boy, TMZ has learned ... allegations Clash adamantly denies.
We've
learned ... Sesame Workshop lawyers recently met with a 23-year-old man
who claims he and Clash began a sexual relationship 7 years ago ...
when he was 16 and Clash was 45.
Clash has acknowledged to TMZ
he had a relationship with the young man -- but insists it only took
place AFTER the accuser was an adult.
Sesame Workshop honchos
tell TMZ ... "In June of this year, Sesame Workshop received a
communication from a young man who alleged that he had a relationship
with Kevin Clash beginning when he was 16-years-old. This was a personal
relationship, unrelated to the workplace. We took the allegation very
seriously and took immediate action."
Sesame Workshop officials acknowledge to TMZ they met with the accuser twice and had a number of other communications with him.
Sources
with direct knowledge of the situation tell TMZ ... after the accuser's
initial meeting with Sesame Street, the accuser felt Sesame Workshop's
lawyers were trying to muzzle him ... so he lawyered up with Andreozzi
and Associates -- the firm that represented one of the victims in the Jerry Sandusky child rape case.
On
August 15, 2012 ... Andreozzi fired off a letter to Sesame, accusing
the company of trying to "discredit the victim in order to protect its
employee and the image of one of its most valuable characters," adding,
"This approach places a greater value on a puppet than the well being of
a young man."
Sesame Workshop officials tell TMZ ... they
conducted a thorough investigation and determined the allegation of
underage sex was unsubstantiated. They say they never tried to silence
the accuser -- rather they asked for evidence supporting his claim, but
he never produced it.
Officials also tell us they're suspicious
because the accuser has an email which TMZ obtained -- purportedly sent
to him by Clash, acknowledging they had the affair when he was 16. The
officials say the accuser never mentioned such an email existed and they
believe it's fraudulent.
But there were other emails between
Clash and the accuser, and although they don't suggest there was
underage sex, officials tell us they disciplined him for inappropriate
use of company email.
Sesame Workshop honchos tell TMZ ... "Kevin
insists that these allegations are false and defamatory and he has
taken actions to protect his reputation. We have granted him a leave of
absence to do so."
It is unclear why Clash wanted a leave of absence, since he denies the allegations of underage sex.
As
for Clash, the voice actor tells TMZ, "I had a relationship with [the
accuser]. It was between two consenting adults and I am deeply saddened
that he is trying to make it into something it was not." Clash calls
the accusations false and defamatory.
Finally Sesame Workshop
officials tell TMZ the puppet is alive and well: "Elmo is bigger than
any one person and will continue to be an integral part of Sesame Street
to engage, educate and inspire children around the world."