The man who accused the voice of Elmo of having sex with him while he was underage has recanted his allegations.

According to The New York Times , which broke the story, the law firm representing the man said he and Kevin Clash had a sexual relationship but it "was an adult consensual relationship."

The Times quotes a Clash spokesman as saying that he was "relieved that this painful allegation has been put to rest. I will not discuss it further."

Sesame Workshop, the production company behind Sesame Street, said it was "pleased that this matter has been brought to a close."

The Workshop announced yesterday that Clash had been given a leave of absence to deal with the accusations.

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