Nairo denies statutory rape allegations, points to CaptainZach
Super Smash Bros. player Nairoby “Nairo” Quezada has finally spoken up about grooming and pedophilia charges brought forward against him by Zach “CaptainZach” Lauth.
In July, CaptainZach had come forward with screenshots detailing a sexual encounter with Nairo when he was only 15-years-old and Nairo was 20. At the time, Nairo denied the accusations, even stating that he was being blackmailed by CaptainZach for money.
Now, three months later, Nairo has decided to speak out about the incident. He stated that he had an attorney retained since July and that he’s planning to take legal action. The Smash player revealed that he had a 30-page document detailing the timeline and showing evidence of his innocence, which can’t be shown publicly because he is “saving it for court.”
“Zack’s allegations are all completely false. When it came out and I saw how everyone threw me aside so quickly, everything I’d been repressing broke me. If my friends weren’t willing to hear out my side, why would anyone else? In my panicked, emotional state, I just gave up, told a friend to write a vague apology, and posted it,” Nairo explained.
My Statement
— Nairo (@NairoMK) October 28, 2020
Text Version: https://t.co/0AVoxFU92J pic.twitter.com/vT9wyoeNJW
What happened between Nairo and CaptainZach?
According to Nairo, he was never in a relationship with CaptainZach. He wasn’t even interested in him. Nairo claimed that he didn’t think much of CaptainZach being “touchy” at first because he’s always been that way with his friends. Nairo also added that he’s always been straight, making him think about the touching even less.
In his long statement on Medium, Nairo explained the entire incident at CEO Dreamland 2017 in detail. CaptainZach and his friends had told Nairo they needed a hotel to stay at. Nairo “reluctantly” let CaptainZach stay in his room. The two slept in separate beds, but he then “woke up to Zach molesting me.”
Nairo said he “freaked out,” but was frozen as CaptainZach performed oral sex on him. Finally, he yelled at him to stop but CaptainZach “refused.” Nairo pushed him away, feeling shaken. Still, CaptainZach attempted to touch Nairo again later that weekend. Nairo states that he told CaptainZach it was “illegal,” but CaptainZach kept pressuring him. When he told the teenager to leave, CaptainZach allegedly said he would “expose” him.
“He blackmailed me into a second encounter of oral sex, which he gave up midway out of annoyance at how unwilling I was. He had me under his thumb after and I had no choice but to not get on his bad side because of his threats,” Nairo said.
Nairo said he felt “ashamed” about the entire situation.
In the summer of 2019, CaptainZach asked Nairo for money. He ended up paying almost $3,000 total to CaptainZach to avoid being exposed.
“After the allegations came out, I was so crushed at how my silence had been worthless in the end and broke down, eventually opening up to my brother and closest friends about my story. That was when I learned that what happened to me did have a word,” Nairo said. “I was raped.”
Nairo admitted that he has had PTSD since the incident. It didn’t help that he was later “abandoned by nearly everyone I know.” He had lost the community he’d been a part of for over a decade, cast out as a pedophile and predator.
“I have lost all of that: my friends, my team, my ability to compete, my Twitch stream, my future. I lost my entire life to these horrible lies and thought of ending it all, but I’m now glad I didn’t continue to go down that path,” Nairo said. “To my closest friends who stuck by me and to the few people who reached out to me, you have no idea how grateful I am to you. You are the reason I am still here today.”
So far, CaptainZach has made no public statements in response to Nairo’s story.
Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.
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