Media from Britain and elsewhere quoted Saunders, continuing to incorrectly name the suspect Alex.

“I don't know you, but your Facebook page is being dragged through the mud right now on Twitter,” one person posted on his Facebook page. “You might want to adjust your privacy settings. Sorry you're going through this.”

As the story spread, some in the local community suggested he change his name online or switch to the initial M temporarily.

Others suggested he disable his Facebook page altogether.

“He needs to turn off his messaging and his friends list visibility and lock his Facebook down 😞 he shouldn’t even HAVE TO but unfortunately he apparently needs to,” said one Richmond Hill resident.

But Minassian – who was born and raised in Richmond Hill, whose Facebook posts show him seated on a SeaDoo and stacks of lumber surrounded by friends, and who supports the local agency 360Kids’ work with the homeless – said that for the time being, he will allow people to “publicly see the false claims. This also allows news agencies to contact me for clarification."

Minassian is a fairly common name in Armenia and is a surname in Iran as well, he said, and there are 120,000 Armenians in the GTA.

“The initial harassment has been overshadowed by support for the truth, so I'm not scared or worried.

“I realize I”m not the victim here and I bear these people no ill will,” he said.

“It hasn't been easy on my family, but my sympathies are with the real victims of this incident.”

- with files from Jeremy Grimaldi