A federal judge in Manhattan dismissed three sexual abuse lawsuits brought against former Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash on Monday, saying the men had exceeded the six-year statute of limitations in filing their complaints.
Judge John Koeltl threw out the suits brought by Cecil Singleton, Kevin Kiadii and a third, unnamed accuser. Clash, 52, resigned from Sesame Street in November after 28 years portraying Elmo amid allegations he’d engaged in sexual relationships with underage boys.
“The complaints in these cases were filed more than six years after the defendant’s conduct with each plaintiff ended,” Koeltl wrote in his decision.