It looks like former Elmo voice actor Kevin Clash will not be charged in any of the three lawsuits pending against him after all. According to the New York Times, a New York judge in the case has thrown away all three suits which involved men claiming Clash sexually assaulted them when they were underage, because the statute of limitations on them ran out.
The 28-page ruling from Judge John G. Koeltl was made official on June 28th, but available to the public yesterday. In it, Koeltl stated that the three men filed their suits against Clash "more than six years after each plaintiff reasonably should have become aware of the defendant’s alleged violations," and more than three after they each turned 18.
Each plaintiff had previously argued that they only filed the charges once they realized that they had been harmed, but the judge didn't buy it: "The dates on which the plaintiffs connected their psychological injuries to their victimizations are irrelevant to the dates on which their claims accrued...they were aware of the defendant’s conduct toward them and could have brought claims."
Jeff Herman, the lawyer representing the three men, commented that they plan to appeal the judge's decision.
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[via New York Times]
