This doesn’t look good toward his innocence.

Earlier this week, the man who accused Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash of having sex with him while he was underage recanted his story, saying that he was of age when they got down and dirty.

However, it has come to light that the man, now 23, may have actually been paid to go back on his claims.

The accuser, revealed earlier this week as Sheldon Stephens, was given $125,000 from Clash and his attorneys with one major string attached: that he go back on his original story and release a statement claiming that the two had sex when it would’ve been legal for him to do so.

More after the jump.

TMZ uncovered that the two sides met hours before Stephens released his statement and hashed out a deal that would net him the money if he went back on his claims:

“Stephens agrees that immediately upon execution of this Agreement, his counsel, Andreozzi & Associates, P.C., shall release the [following] statement … ‘He [Stephens] wants it to be known that his sexual relationship with Mr. Clash was an adult consensual relationship.’”The settlement document goes on to say if Stephens is asked by anyone about his relationship with Clash, he must only repeat the statement [above] in the settlement that recants his story.