Students in ‘To Catch a Predator’ trend targeting soldier plead not guilty

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Five students from a Christian college in Massachusetts appeared in court for the first time on Thursday, facing charges of kidnapping and conspiracy. The students from Assumption University are accused of luring an Army soldier to their campus using a dating app and attacking him as part of a “To Catch a Predator” TikTok trend.

The suspects, Easton Randall, Kevin Carroll, Isabella Trudeau, Joaquin Smith, and Kelsy Brainard, all aged 18-19, were arraigned in Worcester District Court. They are set to appear in court again on March 28. Additionally, a sixth student, a minor, has also been charged in connection with the incident.

According to a relative of the victim, the 22-year-old soldier was deployed to the Middle East shortly after the traumatic event occurred.

The victim recounted that he had met Brainard on Tinder on the evening of October 1 while he was in Worcester for his grandmother’s funeral. He agreed to meet her on campus, believing they were going to “hook up” and seeking some solace after the funeral service. However, there was no evidence to suggest that he was seeking relationships with underage individuals.

Shortly after meeting Brainard, a group of 25-30 people surrounded the victim, accusing him of being a “pedophile.” Despite the victim and Brainard having amicable interactions prior to the incident, the group prevented him from leaving and began recording the confrontation on their phones.

The situation escalated when a juvenile student struck the victim in the back of the head, followed by Carroll slamming the victim’s head in a car door. The victim managed to flee the scene, with the group chasing him and causing damage to his vehicle.

Surveillance footage showed the group laughing and high-fiving each other upon re-entering the building after the altercation. Campus police were alerted to the incident when Brainard reported a “creepy guy” on campus, leading to an investigation and the subsequent arrests of the students.

Further investigation revealed that the students had conspired to lure the victim to the campus and carry out the assault as part of a TikTok trend. The group chat discussing the plan indicated their intention to mimic the “Catch a Predator” concept, which led to the violent confrontation.

The accused students admitted to their involvement in the scheme, with Randall acknowledging that the situation had spiraled out of control. Brainard attempted to downplay her role in the incident but was seen laughing and smiling during the attack.

Attorneys representing the students have not responded to requests for comment on the matter.

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