The case of Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash is, as sex scandals sometimes are, poised on the cusp of legally actionable and none of our damn business. (See also Petraeus, David, et al.) Clash, 52, acknowledges having had a relationship with a young man, now 24, while he was over the age of consent. His accuser says it began when he was 16. Clash has taken a leave of absence from Sesame Street while responding to the allegation. If his lover was under the age of consent, that’s a matter for the law. If he was over—whatever you personally think of middle-aged guys dating young men (or women)—it’s between them. That’s where things stand now, as Sesame Workshop has thus far stood by its performer, who has been voicing Elmo for 28 years. (It did reportedly reprimand Clash for personal use of his work e-mail.) And, until someone is proven guilty, that’s where it should stay. But will it?/James Poniewozik, Time. More here. (AP/Victoria Will photo: "Sesame Street" muppet Elmo and puppeteer Kevin Clash)

Question: When does a high-profile person's sex life become our business?