Kevin Clash, the former puppeteer behind hugely popular "Sesame Street" character Elmo, is being sued by a fourth accuser who claims that Clash had sex with him while the accuser was underage.
The lawsuit, filed Monday by attorney Jeff Herman, claims that Clash met the plaintiff, identified as John Doe, in Miami in late 1995 or 1996, when the plaintiff was "age 16 or 17," and transported him to New York in order to have sex with him.
Also read: Elmo Actor Kevin Clash Resigns From Sesame Workshop as Second Accuser Files Suit
According to the complaint, after meeting and befriending the plaintiff, who had been contemplating running away from home, Clash called him from New York, offering a plane ticket, cash and a free place to stay so that Clash could be a "dad" to him.
The suit says that the alleged victim took Clash up on his offer in early 1996, staying with Clash for about four days, during which the two "had sexual contact on multiple occasions."
Also read: Elmo Actor May Have Had More Victims, New Accuser's Attorney Says
“According to our lawsuit, Kevin Clash knowingly paid to transport a minor across state lines for the purpose of satisfying his sexual interests," Herman said in a statement.
Clash, 52, went on leave from Sesame Workshop in November after an accuser claimed that Clash had a sexual relationship with him when he was 16. Clash admitted to having sex with the man but said that the relationship occurred when the accuser with an adult.
The accuser quickly issued a statement recanting his story, saying that it was "an adult consensual relationship."
Since then, more accusers have come forward. Clash resigned from Sesame Workshop after a second accuser filed suit against him, saying that the allegations had become a "distraction."