Kevin Clash scored a major victory in court yesterday in the multiple sex abuse lawsuits filed against him this year.
A judge dismissed three of the five suits that claim Clash, a voice actor best known as the voice of Sesame Street's Elmo, lured minors into having sex with him many years ago. TMZ reports that the New York judge presiding over the cases ruled that the three cases are beyond the statute of limitations.
The suits brought by Cecil Singleton, Kevin Kiadii and a third unnamed accuser won't proceed. In documents, the judge explained that the statute of limitations expires three years after the alleged victim turns 18. All three accusers were already in their mid-twenties when they filed suit, well beyond the age deadline.

The fourth of five suits was dropped by its accuser in April. No similar ruling has been made on the single remaining lawsuit, but this has to be a major relief for Clash, whose career crumbled after allegations surfaced that he engaged in sex with minors on more than one occasion. In at least one case, Clash admitted to having a sexual relationship with his accuser, but only after the alleged victim was a legal adult. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Clash resigned from Sesame Workshop, the entity that produces Sesame Street, last November to focus on fighting his legal battles. He won three Daytime Emmy awards earlier this month.

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