According to TMZ, the man who accused the voice of Elmo of underage sex has said that he now stands by his original story and that he was pressured into recanting it last week. The voice of Elmo is Kevin Clash, who has been on leave from Sesame Place. The accuser, Sheldon Stephens, said that Clash had sex with him when he was underage.
The two parties agreed on a settlement of $125,000, which would be paid to Stephens by Clash. For the settlement, the following would be provided:
“Stephens agrees that immediately upon execution of this Agreement, his counsel, Andreozzi & Associates, P.C., shall release the [following] statement … ‘He [Stephens] wants it to be known that his sexual relationship with Mr. Clash was an adult consensual relationship.'”
TMZ was informed that Stephens has been meeting with lawyers in Los Angeles and told all of them that he was pressured into recanting his claims made against Clash. Stephens now says that he was telling the truth when he said he had sex with Clash when he was just 16-years-old.
Stephens has told the lawyers that he will return the money from the settlement to restore his name. He also said that he was in tears during the final negotiations of the settlement and said that he did not want to sign it.