Overwhelmed by a sex scandal that will not go away, Kevin Clash has resigned from Sesame Street. The puppeteer, who's been the voice of Elmo for the past 28 years, says in a statement, "Personal matters have diverted attention away from the important work Sesame Street is doing and I cannot allow it to go on any longer. I am deeply sorry to be leaving and am looking forward to resolving these personal matters privately."

Sesame Workshop, which produces the PBS program, issued its own statement noting, "the controversy surrounding Kevin's personal life has become a distraction that none of us want [and led to the conclusion] that he can no longer be effective in his job."

Allegations of a second case of underage sexual abuse by Clash have surfaced. The Associated Press reports that Cecil Singleton has filed suit over sexual encounters with Clash that took place when he was 15.