The 24-year-old aspiring model who supposedly accused (we never heard the accusations from his own mouth or quotes) then "recanted" the allegations of underage sex with "Elmo" puppeteer Kevin Clash has been revealed.  And so has his murky past.  It includes armed robbery, writing hot checks and reckless driving. Oh...and his mom is accused of trying to murder her husband! Meet Sheldon Stephens inside.....

The young man who accused Kevin Clash of underage sex (before he recanted) has been revealed as Sheldon Stephens, a 24-year-old aspiring model/actor from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  On his Facebook page, he says of himself, “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.”

Though it has not been revealed how Sheldon even met 52-year-old Kevin (back when he was only 16), what has been revealed is a scandalous past full of run-ins with the lat since 2009.  He was first arrested for writing hot checks in Harrisburg (but he later settled his debt), then he pleaded guilt to reckless driving. 

And most shockingly, he was arrested for robbing his old boss, music manager Darian Pollard, for $250K in jewelry at knifepoint! As far as that case goes,  Darian didn't file charges and told The Smoking Gun that he doesn't remember being robbed.  SMH.

But trouble in Sheldon's life didn't stop there as his mother, Felicia Stephens, was charged with attempted murder after she allegedly stabbed her husband with a pair of scissors...repeatedly. All of this went down in March and now she is facing a felony aggravated assault rap and is due in court December 19. SMH. (Interesting that the time of his mother facing these charges overlaps with the time Sheldon was negotiating with Sesame Street about the supposed "allegations.  Was someone trying to make money for legal fees?)

And we told you previously that there was speculation (by TMZ) that a six-figure settlement was on the table between Kevin and Sheldon.  And now that report is looking VERY suspect (most likely the site was trying to cover their asses)...and probably NEVER happened. TSG said, 

"Shortly after the statement’s release, TMZ scrambled to publish a story (citing “sources close to the situation”) claiming that attorneys for Clash and the accuser were, right then, purportedly “discussing a financial settlement and 6-figures were on the table.” At that point, however, Stephens was no longer being represented by Andreozzi & Associates, the Harrisburg law firm, and had no other legal representation. The issuance of the statement was done as a courtesy by Stephens’s former counsel, who noted that, “He will have no further comment on the matter.”

We all know timing is everything....maybe Sheldon was trying to think of quick ways to make money for his mom's legal defense...which we're sure must be MAJOR.  We're thinking if your mom is accused of murder in March, you wouldn't spend  the summer going back and forth with legal counsel at Sesame Workshop unless you thought you'd get something out of it for the future.  That time COULD have been spent comforting your mother and helping prep her case.  SMH.

Whatever his reasons were...he did confirm he had a consenual relationship with Mr. Clash and not before the age of 18.  But Kevin now has a damaged reputation. 

We'll keep you posted on this.

Here are a few of Sheldon's modeling shots....

Photos via The Smoking Gun