Five Massachusetts college students appeared in court on Thursday, facing charges of conspiracy and kidnapping after allegedly planning to lure a man to their campus through a dating app as part of a 'Catch a Predator' trend on TikTok. The Assumption University students, all teenagers, stood before the judge with not-guilty pleas entered on their behalf.
The defendants, identified as Kelsy Brainard, Easton Randall, Kevin Carroll, Isabella Trudeau, and Joaquin Smith, were accused of using Brainard's Tinder account to entice a 22-year-old military service member to the private school in Worcester. The man, in town for his grandmother's funeral, was allegedly ambushed by a group of individuals who accused him of inappropriate intentions towards underage girls.
According to campus police reports, the incident unfolded in a basement lounge where the man was confronted and physically assaulted before managing to escape. Surveillance footage captured the group of students recording the event, with no evidence supporting the allegations made against the man.
Randall admitted that the group was inspired by a 'catch a predator' trend on TikTok and orchestrated the plan to lure the man to campus. Messages exchanged among the students revealed a deliberate attempt to frame the man as a predator, despite no indication of such intentions on his part.
Following the assault, Brainard falsely reported the man as a sexual predator, leading to further confusion and misinformation. Legal representatives for the accused students maintained their innocence and expressed confidence in the legal process.
As the case unfolds, the defendants have been ordered to have no contact with the targeted man. The court proceedings are set to continue with a pre-trial conference scheduled for March 28.
