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Kevin Clash's Accuser Identified As Aspiring Model, Actor From Pennsylvania
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 15, 2012
Modified Nov 15, 2012
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 15, 2012
Modified Nov 15, 2012
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Photos via TSG
The 24-year-old man who accused Kevin Clash—Elmo voice actor and puppeteer—of engaging in underage sex with him when he was 16-years-old has now been identified. Throughout the short-lived scandal the accuser remained anonymous, but now two days after he retracted his allegations, photos have been dug up by the Smoking Gun.
The accuser is aspiring actor/model Sheldon Stephens, who hails from Pennsylvania and has several arrests under his belt. Stephens "was once arrested for the knifepoint robbery of $250,000 in jewelry from a music manager for whom he interned." He's also been nabbed for passing bad checks, and reckless driving.
TSG has also listed off his resume's bullet points: as of last year he was taking classes at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology; he was a valet at a Hilton hotel; an office assistant at an American Automobile Association branch; he's worked at various retail clothing stores in SoHo (while living in Brooklyn). He also seems to have started some sort of management company, called X Management.
Stephens goes by the name "Sheldon Xzavier," and in his Twitter profile (which he has now made private) he referred to himself as an “Entrepreneur, Student, Model, Actor," and on Facebook described himself as "a rare breed. I'm very spontaneous and random... I'm determined and goal oriented. My destiny is laid on a solid gold brick pathway... MY FUTURE IS BRIGHT and never will it dim."
When the allegations were recanted this week, Clash released a statement saying: "I am relieved... I will not discuss it further." The story is one that ended up outing him as a gay man, which he also addressed, saying, "I have never been ashamed of this or tried to hide it, but felt it was a personal and private matter.”
Tagged
elmo
kevin clash
sheldon stephens
sheldon xzavier
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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