'Elmo' Puppeteer Accused Of Having Relationship With Juvenile

Kevin Clash denies claim, but admits to relationship with man when he was an adult.

Kevin Clash, the man who created the popular Sesame Street character "Elmo" has taken a leave of absence from the show amid claims that he had a relationship with a 16-year old boy.

Clash denies the accusation, but admits to having a relationship with the accuser, but only when he was an adult.

TMZ reports:

In June of this year, Sesame Workshop received a communication from a young man who alleged that he had a relationship with Kevin Clash beginning when he was 16-years-old.  This was a personal relationship, unrelated to the workplace. We took the allegation very seriously and took immediate action."

Sesame Workshop officials acknowledge to TMZ they met with the accuser twice and had a number of other communications with him.

Sources with direct knowledge of the situation tell TMZ ... after the accuser's initial meeting with Sesame Street, the accuser felt Sesame Workshop's lawyers were trying to muzzle him ... so he lawyered up with Andreozzi and Associates -- the firm that represented one of the victims in the Jerry Sandusky child rape case.

"I had a relationship with [the accuser]," says Clash. "It was between two consenting adults and I am deeply saddened that he is trying to make it into something it was not."

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