NEW YORK (AP) -- A man who initially recanted sex abuse allegations against the former puppeteer of the "Sesame Street" character Elmo has sued him, alleging the entertainer lured him into drug-fueled sex when he was 16.
"I was taken advantage of by someone a lot older, and manipulated," Sheldon Stephens, who's now 24, told a Manhattan news conference.
He said he had met puppeteer Kevin Clash at a networking event for models and actors, and was later brought by limousine from his home in Pennsylvania to a New York apartment. There, Stephens said, Clash smoked crystal meth while giving the teenager another recreational drug.
In a federal lawsuit filed in Pennsylvania, Stephens accused the 52-year-old Clash of sexual battery for childhood sexual abuse; travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct; and coercion and enticement to sexual activity. Stephens is asking for unspecified damages and coverage of his legal expenses.
Clash's attorney, Michael Berger, said his client denies any wrongdoing. He said Stephens already admitted he had had an adult consensual relationship with Clash, who resigned from "Sesame Street" in November.
Stephens first made the allegations last year. His lawyer said Stephens recanted over the possibility of a settlement, but none was reached.
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