His name is Sheldon Stephens, a 24-year-old male model from Pennsylvania. This is what we know about him from The Smoking Gun, which uncovered (and confirmed with two sources) his identity: He was once arrested for the knifepoint robbery of $250,000 in jewelry from a music manager for whom he interned. He often goes by the modeling name Sheldon Xzavier, although his modeling career has not taken off in any meaningful way. His mother was arrested for stabbing his father last year with a pair of scissors. He’s been arrested for passing a bad check, and for reckless driving. He has an inactive page on a porn site, and the About Page on his Facebook says, “I like to consider myself 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.”
This is what he looks like:
And if you’re wondering if it is it unfair or unethical for The Smoking Gun to reveal the identity of Stephens, the answer to that is: No. As he stated himself in recanting his story, he was not underage when he carried on a sexual relationship with Kevin Clash. He was never the victim of a sexual crime. One could probably assume, based on his history and his struggling career, that the initial accusation was either 1) part of a shakedown of Kevin Clash, or 2) he was paid by TMZ to reveal his (untrue) story. The only victim in this episode is Kevin Clash, and that crime was of a public relations nature.
In either case, Stephens is kind of a dick for outing the relationship. Elmo is a beloved character for millions of kids, and the last association that anyone needs to have of Elmo is of the sex life of the man who voiced the character. Clash’s sex life is a private matter, and it should’ve stayed that way. Sheldon Stephens should be revealed and thoroughly shamed for what he’s done; the unfortunate irony, however, is that he now possesses the very fame for which he sought. A crappy reality show is probably not too far behind.
(Source: The Smoking Gun)
