Man accusing Elmo puppeteer of sex assault: I was forced to recant

Posted on: 7:21 am, November 19, 2012, by Will C. Holden, updated on: 11:35am, November 19, 2012

Kevin Clash, left, the voice of Elmo is being accused of sex assault by Sheldon Stephens, right. (Photo: TMZ.com)

The man who accused Kevin Klash, the voice of Elmo, of having underage sex with him is apparently changing his story — again.

According to TMZ, Sheldon Stephens, 23, says he was pressured into signing a $125,000 settlement with Clash on the grounds that he would recant his story.

Court documents obtained by TMZ read, in part:

“Stephens agrees that immediately upon execution of this Agreement, his counsel, Andreozzi & Associates, P.C., shall release the [following] statement … ‘He [Stephens] wants it to be known that his sexual relationship with Mr. Clash was an adult consensual relationship.’”

Stephens has since met with lawyers, according to the report, because he wants to undo the settlement. He is reportedly saying that he was telling the truth when he said he had sex with Clash when he was 16.

Stephens reportedly told lawyers that he was crying during the negotiations and repeatedly said that he didn’t want to sign the documents, TMZ reports.

Clash’s lawyer has yet to release a comment on TMZ’s story.