Five students from a Massachusetts Christian college appeared in court for the first time Thursday, accused of using dating apps to lure Army soldiers to campus and attacking them with the TikTok trend “To Catch a Predator.”
The Assumption University students were charged with conspiracy and kidnapping Thursday in Worcester District Court. Easton Randall, 19, was automatically entered a not guilty plea. Kevin Carroll, 18 years old. Isabella Trudeau, 18 years old. Joaquin Smith, 18 years old. 18-year-old Kelsey Brainard used her Tinder account to lure a 22-year-old Army soldier.
They are scheduled to appear in court again on March 28, according to online court records. A sixth student, a boy, was also charged.
Relatives of the victim told FOX News Digital that the 22-year-old was deployed to the Middle East shortly after the tragic incident.
University student charged with ambushing soldiers in TikTok plot to 'catch predators': police
Kelsey Brainard leaves court on Thursday, January 16, 2025, following her arraignment in Worcester District Court, Massachusetts. Brainard is one of six Assumption University students arrested on suspicion of ambushing U.S. soldiers as part of the online trend “Catch a Predator.” (David McGlynn, Fox News Digital)
The unassuming man told police he attended his grandmother's funeral in Worcester on October 1 and agreed to meet Brainard on Tinder that night. The soldier later told Assumption University police that he was “trying to build a relationship” and after the burial, “I just wanted to be around happy people.”
Based on messages he exchanged with Brainard on the app and shared with police, and Brainard's profile showing she was 18, “no evidence of that was presented.” [the victim] Police said in an indictment obtained by Fox News Digital that he “sought a sexual relationship with an underage girl” and “used Tinder as originally designed…to begin a relationship.” It is written down.
Just minutes after the victim met Brainard, a “group” of 25 to 30 people showed up and called him a “pedophile” who “liked having sex with 17-year-old girls.” Before being surrounded, the victim was sitting next to Mr. Brainard watching the game in the student lounge, and surveillance footage showed there was “substantial personal space” between the two, and Mr. Brainard said: It turned out that he was laughing and smiling.
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Isabella Trudeau will be arraigned on Thursday, January 16, 2025, in Worcester District Court, Massachusetts. Mr. Trudeau is one of six Assumption University students arrested on suspicion of ambushing U.S. soldiers as part of the online trend “Catch a Predator.” (David McGlynn, Fox News Digital)
Police said surveillance camera footage showed the group surrounding the victim and preventing him from leaving around 10:30 p.m. The victim was able to escape, but was chased by a “crowd” and “the pursuit can be clearly seen being recorded on a mobile phone”.
Police said the soldier was punched in the back of the head by the boy, whose name was not released in court documents because of his age. Carroll then slammed the victim's head against a car door, and the students kicked the victim's car as it sped out of the parking lot, according to court documents.
Carroll faces additional charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, according to court documents.
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Joaquin Smith leaves court on Thursday, January 16, 2025, following his arraignment in Worcester District Court, Massachusetts. Smith is one of six Assumption University students arrested on suspicion of ambushing U.S. soldiers as part of the online trend “Catch a Predator.” (David McGlynn, Fox News Digital)
A few minutes later, the group can be seen on surveillance footage re-entering the building, laughing and giving each other “high-fives,” police said.
Campus police became aware of the incident after Brainerd reported that a “creepy man came to campus trying to meet an underage girl.” She said she texted Randall and he “came down.” [into the lounge] to help [her] With sex offenders. ”
On October 1, a 22-year-old soldier was allegedly lured through Tinder and attacked by students at La Maison Française on the campus of Assumption University. (Rick Sinclair/Telegram & Gazette/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
She said she met the “creepy” man on Tinder, but claimed he “came over.” [to campus] Even though I wasn't invited. ”
Although campus police did not find the alleged predator on campus, they reviewed security camera footage and contacted students after being contacted by Worcester police about a man who reported an assault at Assumption College. started interviewing.
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Kevin Carroll will be arraigned on Thursday, January 16, 2025, in Worcester District Court, Massachusetts. Carroll is one of six Assumption University students arrested on suspicion of ambushing U.S. soldiers as part of the online trend “To Catch a Predator.” He faces additional charges for allegedly hitting the victim's head against a car door. (David McGlynn, Fox News Digital)
Further investigation revealed that “a small group of the larger group” (students now facing criminal charges) “conspired with each other to lure victims onto the premises and collaborate to 'catch the predator' through group text messages.” It has become clear that there is a suspicion that “I asked for it.”
According to court documents, “The purpose of the Tinder invite was to simulate the TikTok trend of luring sexual predators to a location and then physically assaulting them or reporting them to the police.” That's what it means.
Randall later told police that the accused students were all sitting together when Brainard was exchanging Tinder messages with the victim, and “the idea of trying to catch a predator came into my head,” Randall later told police. told.
Easton Randall will be arraigned on Thursday, January 16, 2025, in Worcester District Court, Massachusetts. Randall is one of six Assumption University students arrested on suspicion of ambushing U.S. soldiers as part of the online trend “Catch a Predator.” (David McGlynn, Fox News Digital)
“They all made suggestions and agreed to the content of the text messages.” [the victim] And…others joined the conspiracy knowing about the illegal plan. ”
“Catch-a-Predator was currently trending on TikTok, but it got out of hand and went bad,” Randall told campus police.
Joaquin Smith will be arraigned on Thursday, January 16, 2025, in Worcester District Court, Massachusetts. Smith is one of six Assumption University students arrested on charges of ambushing U.S. soldiers as part of the online trend “To Catch a Predator.” (David McGlynn, Fox News Digital)
When the victim came to campus, one of the men texted the group chat:[had] They descended here to “capture the predator,” prompting a “violent” reaction from students, according to court records.
Assumption University in Worcester, Massachusetts. (Christine Peterson/Worcester Telegram & Gazette, via USA Today Network)
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When questioned about the tampering, Brainard told campus police he “didn't know what was going to happen,” records show, and reduced his liability. But police wrote that CCTV footage showed her laughing and smiling as the boys came over to give her tinder matches.
Lawyers representing the six students did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
