The second person to accuse the voice of Elmo, Kevin Clash, of underage sexual relationships is that of Cecil Singleton. Singleton, according to E! News, held a press conference on Tuesday to discuss the nature of the relationship when he was 15-years-old.
“[There was] groping, masturbation, and just a lot of intense kissing, touching, that kind of thing. Dry humping,” he said. “But we did not have sex and it’s imperative to note that. We did not have…sexual intercourse until years later when I was an adult.”
Singleton said that he ended the relationship just two weeks later.
“I just remember telling myself that he seemed to really like me and… let me spare him now because I know that I can’t do this,” Singleton said. “If I had to make an educated guess and say if we had stayed together we more than likely would have had sex at that age.”
A lawsuit was filed against Clash in New York Federal Court by Singleton, who is now 24. Singleton said that he met Clash on a gay phone chat line in 2003 at the age of 15. The complaint was obtained by E! News and it says that Clash “was an unmarried adult male living a prominent public life centered around the entertainment of toddlers, while at the same time he was, in secret, preying on teenage boys to satisfy his depraved sexual interests.”
The complaint continued that Clash “persuaded, induced, coerced, or enticed Cecil Singleton to meet him,” whereby the former “groomed [his accuser] to gain his trust by, among other things, taking him to nice dinners and giving him money.”
Singleton suffered personal injuries, according to the complaint. The lawsuit also said that even though the sexual relationship occurred quite some time in the past, the plaintiff “did not become aware that he had suffered adverse psychological and emotional effects from Kevin Clash’s sexual acts and conduct until 2012.”
The lawsuit filed by Singleton is asking for $5 million in damages.
Jeff Herman, the attorney for Singleton, said, “According to our lawsuit, Kevin Clash preyed on vulnerable teenage boys, like Cecil Singleton, to satisfy his depraved sexual interests. By coming forward now, Cecil hopes to spare the lives of others like him and to begin his own healing process.”
In a statement released to E! News by Clash after he resigned on Tuesday from Sesame Workshop, he said, “Personal matters have diverted attention away from the important work Sesame Street is doing and I cannot allow it to go any longer. I am deeply sorry to be leaving and am looking forward to resolving these personal matters privately.”