Former Elmo Puppeteer Kevin Clash Cleared of Sexual Abuse Charges

Kevin Clash, the former voice of the Sesame Street puppet Elmo, has been cleared of the three charges of sexual abuse against him, THR reports.

The 53-year-old puppeteer was accused by three men of sexual abuse as minors over a ten year span, but an appeals court threw out the cases.

Many lawsuits were filed, but a New York judge threw out the cases last July after citing that they were outside the state’s statute of limitations. The statute states that the suit must be filed within six years of the event in question, or three years after the plaintiff turns 21 years old.

The cases were then brought to the U.S. Court of Appeals, but were thrown out this month.

Kevin resigned from his job in 2012 and has always claimed his innocence.