NEW YORK - The man who accused Sesame Street's "voice of Elmo," Kevin Clash, of having a sexual encounter with him when he was 16 has retracted his statements about the PBS puppeteer. In a statement sent to FOX 411 from the unnamed accuser's attorneys, the 23-year-old took back his allegation. Still, the shadow of the scandal was an anomaly for the squeaky clean show and its normally behind-the-scenes "Sesame Street" personality. While the legalities involved with Clash's relationship appear to have been settled, having a sex scandal linked to one of the most beloved kids' characters of all time has left some with a bad taste in their mouth. Clash has a daughter and was once married, according to his IMDB profile. He is also the highest-paid Muppeteer ever, according to the database.