Let me preface this by saying rape is a fucking terrible and evil thing to do and Nairo should be getting SOME shit. This wasn't rape, though, and Nairo isn't a pedophile. While, legally, this was a bad call on Nairo's part and obviously he shouldn't have done it, who got hurt here? All of Zack's evidence is him initiating, and being absolutely psyched about giving Nairo oral sex. Nairo didn't coerce or manipulate a small child or any of that. Should he have taken him up on his offer? No. Oopsie.
At the time of the incident Zack was 15 and Nairo was 20. 2 years earlier and they could've gone to the same high school. 1 year LATER and Zack would've been above the age of consent. There are zero differences between the mind of a 15 y/o and that of a 16 y/o. 20 years old is one year off of being a teenager, Nairo was still just as horny and stupid as Zack was. Nairo was obviously older and should've known better, but the way I see it, this was just a stupid mistake made by 2 stupid kids. I don't think it was Zack's fault, and I'm not victim blaming, but I don't think it was Nairo's fault either.
This wasn't a dark, violent tale of someone getting molested against their will by someone 3 times their age and getting PTSD from the incident. This was a teenager finding someone attractive and acting on it. The only "trauma" Zack admits he has has been the stress of keeping it a secret. He's not scarred for life and he's not suicidal.
Nairo, however, might be. Twitter is full of people telling Nairo to "rot" and die. Obviously Twitter is a toxic, impulsive place and it's to be expected, but not everything in this world is black and white. And I don't think the mistake that was made is so horrendously vile as to completely ruin a man's life, sully his name (to this degree), and possibly drive him to suicide. Hoping someone dies or actively sending death threats is never ok, and, to me personally, is not even close to being warranted in this scenario.
I understand he technically did something wrong, but to garner this much hatred?
Again, my argument isn't that Nairo is innocent because obviously not, but he shouldn't be getting as much heat as he is.
If you disagree, let us please have a civil discussion.