WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — Five college students from Assumption University have been charged with conspiracy and kidnapping after allegedly luring a man to their campus via a dating app, as part of a TikTok-inspired “Catch a Predator” prank.
The students—Kelsy Brainard, 18; Easton Randall, 19; Kevin Carroll, 18; Isabella Trudeau, 18; and Joaquin Smith, 18—appeared in court Thursday. Each entered a not-guilty plea, and they are scheduled to return to Worcester District Court for a pre-trial conference on March 28.
A sixth student is facing charges in juvenile court. Brainard, who allegedly used her Tinder account to invite the victim to campus, faces an additional charge of witness intimidation. One male student also faces an assault charge after allegedly attacking the man with a weapon.
The target, a 22-year-old active-duty military service member, had come to Worcester to attend his grandmother’s funeral in October. Seeking company, he turned to Tinder, where he connected with a woman claiming to be 18. After meeting her, the victim was led to a basement lounge, where he was ambushed by a group accusing him of being a pedophile and wanting to engage in sex with underage girls.
The victim managed to escape but was pursued by the group to his car, where he was assaulted. Surveillance footage from the campus shows the group, including Brainard, recording the incident and laughing, while circulating “first-person perspective videos” among students. There was no evidence to support the victim’s alleged intent to engage in inappropriate behavior.
Randall later told authorities that their actions were inspired by the “Catch a Predator” trend, which has gained traction on TikTok. Messages reviewed by police revealed no indication that the victim was seeking to meet underage girls, contrary to the group’s claims.
After the assault, Brainard falsely reported the victim to the police as a sexual predator and claimed she was scared of him. Campus police reviewed the footage and found her account to be untrue, leading to the group’s arrest.
In court, the students were ordered to have no contact with the victim. Brainard’s lawyer, Christopher Todd, expressed hope that the legal process would play out fairly, while Trudeau’s lawyer, Robert Iacovelli, sought to have charges against her dropped, arguing there was no probable cause.
The case is ongoing, and further proceedings are expected in the coming months.
