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USA Today
10-04-2025
- USA Today
Charges dropped against Massachusetts college students over alleged 'catch a predator' plot
Hear this story Kidnapping and conspiracy charges against five Assumption University students accused of being part of a plan to "catch a predator' in October have been dropped. Charges were dropped against Kelsy Brainard, 18; Kevin Carroll, 18; Easton Randall, 19; Joaquin Smith, 18; and Isabella Trudeau, 18, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY and the Worcester County District Attorney. 'The kidnapping and conspiracy charges against all five of these defendants were dismissed by Worcester Central District Court Judge Michael Allard-Madaus,' Lindsay Corcoran, spokesperson for Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.'s office, told USA TODAY Thursday morning in a statement. Corcoran said the court cannot provide details on the other defendant, a juvenile. Kelsy Brainard, Kevin Carroll still facing criminal charges Brainard is still facing a charge of intimidating a witness, police, or court official, Corcoran said, adding that Carroll is still facing a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Christopher S. Todd, a lawyer representing Brainard, said Thursday morning that the team is 'very pleased that the court applied the law properly in this case.' 'We look forward to resolving this matter, and hopefully everybody can move on with their lives,' he said. Robert J. Iacovelli, who is representing Trudeau, said Thursday that the case was simply about 'the judge applying the law and recognizing there just simply wasn't enough there.' Lawyers for Carroll, Randall, and Smith did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's requests for comment Thursday morning. Kelsy Brainard said 'a creepy guy came to campus' to meet a 17-year-old girl The man campus police said was falsely labeled a sexual predator is a 22-year-old U.S. Army member who was visiting from North Carolina, reported the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, part of the USA TODAY network. The students involved were accused of assaulting the man on the Assumption University campus on Oct. 1, university police wrote in court documents. The man allegedly met a student on the dating app Tinder. Investigators spoke to Brainard, who told them "a creepy guy came to campus looking to meet an underage girl' who he believed was 17, the documents show. She said she texted Randall to come and help her, and Randall chased the man off campus. Brainard later told investigators her profile listed her age as 18, and when confronted about her story having discrepancies, she "acknowledged that to be true," documents show. Tinder date said a group of 25 or more ambushed him on campus According to court documents, the man called Worcester police for help after the incident. When officers met with him, he said he was in the area to attend his grandmother's funeral and wanted to "be around people that were happy." He said he had been communicating with Brainard on Tinder and they planned to "try and hook up." When she invited him to come and meet her at Alumni Hall, he said she let him inside the building. Suddenly, a group of 25 or more people showed up and started saying he 'liked having sex with 17-year-old girls,' court documents show. The man said he got scared when group members began holding him back and wouldn't let him leave, but once he broke free, he was attacked, according to the court documents. He said he eventually made it back to his car where the group punched him in the back of the head, slammed his car door on his head and kicked his vehicle, the documents say. He called the police when he was able to drive away, and according to the court documents, Carroll later confessed that he slammed the man's head in the car door. Surveillance footage shows incident on campus Investigators viewed surveillance footage starting just after 10:30 p.m. that night. The footage showed Brainard leading the man into the building and down a set of stairs to the lounge area, court documents read. Eventually, the footage showed the man running up the stairs as a group of people chased him with their phones out. The group later re-entered the frame laughing and high-fiving each other, court documents show. Investigators also found footage circulating online of first-hand recordings of the incident, court documents say. According to police who reviewed the Tinder messages between the man and Brainard, nothing indicated that he was looking to meet minors, and the profile he interacted with listed the individual's age as 18. Investigators said the ordeal was inspired by a "catching a predator" trend on social media, particularly TikTok, where content creators chat with adults online and pretend to be minors. When the adults show up to meet, the content creators confront them about their conversations and attempts to meet. The trend is similar to the format of the Dateline NBC show 'To Catch a Predator,' hosted by Chris Hansen, which originally ran from 2004 to 2007. Group member used the term 'underage' and things got out of hand: Defendant In the Assumption University case, investigators spoke to Randall, who said he worked with Brainard, Trudeau, Smith, Carroll, and an unnamed boy from start to finish on the "to catch a predator" plot. It all began when Brainard began chatting with the man on Tinder, Randall said, adding that it was similar to the trend where people "catch a predator and either call police or kick their (expletive)." Randall said they already had a group chat for Alumni Hall residents on the third floor and eventually used that chat to talk about the man on Tinder. A group chat member named 'Smitty' mentioned the term "underage,' causing a "mass of people' to gather. Randall also admitted texting "you have to come down here," and "we're catching a predator," court documents show. Assumption University said in a statement to USA TODAY on Thursday that what the students are accused of doing does not represent the school. 'The Assumption University Police Department … fulfilled its duty as an accredited law enforcement agency by filing charges describing the facts of the incident,' the university said. Contributing: Brad Petrishen, Worcester Telegram & Gazette Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Yahoo
Charges dropped against Mass. college students in ‘Catch a Predator' TikTok trend
WORCESTER, Mass. (WWLP) – Kidnapping and conspiracy charges have been dismissed by a judge against five college students in Massachusetts in connection with allegedly plotting to lure a man onto their campus as part of a social media trend. The Worcester County District Attorney's Office said that six teenage Assumption University students were charged with kidnapping and conspiracy following events that occurred in October 2024. Worcester students in court for charges after TikTok plot 'to catch a predator' falsely accused man on Tinder Court documents stated that on October 2, Assumption University Police reviewed an incident report made by 18-year-old Kelsy Brainard of Holyoke, a student at the college. Brainard said that a man came to campus and made her feel 'creepy,' and she contacted her friend, 20-year-old Easton Randall of Jericho, Vt., to chase him off campus. Brainard stated in the report that she did not invite the man on campus and that he arrived uninvited the night of October 1. Police were unable to locate him. However, Worcester police officers were in contact with a man who requested assistance related to an incident that occurred at Assumption that night. The 22-year-old man stated that he was in the area for a funeral and wanted to be around happy people, and was in contact with Brainard on Tinder. Brainard allegedly invited him onto campus, at which time she led him into the building where he was ambushed by a group of students. The group allegedly began calling the man a pedophile who wanted to have sex with 17-year-old girls, and grabbed him to prevent him from leaving. The man stated that when he was able to run away, he was allegedly chased by about 25 people, who kicked his vehicle and punched him in the back of the head. Campus footage was obtained showing Brainard leading the man into a campus building and then chasing him out with the group of students, all with their phones out. Police determined through interviews with the group that the incident was allegedly meant to simulate a TikTok fad of 'catching a predator.' Six Assumption University students– Brainard, Randall, 18-year-old Kevin Carroll of Holden, 18-year-old Isabella Trudeau of Sterling, 19-year-old Joaquin Smith of West Haven, Conn., and an unnamed juvenile– were identified as the group involved in the plot. The charges were dismissed on Wednesday against five of the students. It is not known at this time if the sixth student has had the charges dismissed, since their case is being handled in juvenile court. The students' lawyers had filed motions to dismiss the charges on the grounds that authorities lacked probable cause that crimes had been committed. Brainard still faces one count of witness intimidation, and Carroll still faces one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for being the individual responsible for slamming the victim's head into his car door. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
Kidnapping, conspiracy charges are dropped against Mass. college students in ‘Catch a Predator' fad
A judge has dismissed conspiracy and kidnapping charges against five Massachusetts college students who were accused of plotting to lure a man to their campus through a dating app and then seizing him as part of a 'Catch a Predator' trend on social media. The Assumption University students, all teenagers, were arraigned in January and entered not guilty pleas. Since then, their lawyers had filed motions seeking to dismiss the charges, saying authorities lacked probable cause to believe they committed crimes. Following a hearing last month, a Worcester District Court judge on Tuesday dismissed the conspiracy and kidnapping charges against Kelsy Brainard, Easton Randall, Kevin Carroll, Isabella Trudeau and Joaquin Smith. It wasn't immediately known if charges were still pending against a sixth student, whose case was being handled in juvenile court. Police say Brainard's Tinder account was used to lure the man to the private, Roman Catholic university in Worcester last October. Brainard still faces a charge of witness intimidation stemming from the encounter. Carroll also still faces a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Messages seeking comment were emailed Wednesday to the Worcester County District Attorney's office and to the university, where campus police had conducted an investigation. The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported that defense lawyers entered into the court record a video of a university police officer interrogating one of the students as part of their argument to dismiss the charges. They said the officer presented an incomplete and distorted picture of the evidence. A report filed by campus police said a 22-year-old active-duty military service member connected with a woman on Tinder and was invited inside a basement lounge. Within minutes, 'a group of people came out of nowhere and started calling him a pedophile,' accusing him of wanting sex with 17-year-old girls, according to the report. The man told police that he broke free and was chased by at least 25 people to his car, where he was punched in the head and his car door was slammed on him before he managed to flee. Campus surveillance video shows a large group of students, including the woman, 'all with their cellphones out in what seems to be a recording of the whole episode,' the police statement said. They are seen 'laughing and high fiving with each other' in what appeared to be 'a deliberately staged event,' and there was no evidence to indicate the man was seeking sexual relations with girls, the police report said. Randall had told officers they were inspired by the 'catch a predator' trend, which he said 'is big on TikTok.' He said their group shared ideas of what to tell the man through the Tinder app to lure him to campus, and then spread word through a dormitory chat group that a 'predator' was in the building, the report said. After the assault, Brainard reported the man to police as a sexual predator, police said, which they determined to be false. Boston 25′s Bob Ward spoke to the victim's father after the incident, who said his son lives out of state. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
Kidnapping, conspiracy charges dropped against college students in ‘Catch a Predator' fad
A judge has dismissed conspiracy and kidnapping charges against five Massachusetts college students who were accused of plotting to lure a man to their campus through a dating app and then seizing him as part of a 'Catch a Predator' trend on social media. The Assumption University students, all teenagers, were arraigned in January and entered not guilty pleas. Since then, their lawyers had filed motions seeking to dismiss the charges, saying authorities lacked probable cause to believe they committed crimes. Following a hearing last month, a Worcester District Court judge on Tuesday dismissed the conspiracy and kidnapping charges against Kelsy Brainard, Easton Randall, Kevin Carroll, Isabella Trudeau and Joaquin Smith. It wasn't immediately known if charges were still pending against a sixth student, whose case was being handled in juvenile court. 'Isabella is very happy the judge applied the law correctly,' her lawyer, Robert Iacovelli, told WCVB-TV. RELATED: College students charged in TikTok-inspired 'catch a predator' plot appear in court Police say Brainard's Tinder account was used to lure the man to the private, Roman Catholic university in Worcester last October. Brainard still faces a charge of witness intimidation stemming from the encounter. Carroll also still faces a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Messages seeking comment were emailed Wednesday to the Worcester County District Attorney's office and to the university, where campus police had conducted an investigation. The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported that defense lawyers entered into the court record a video of a university police officer interrogating one of the students as part of their argument to dismiss the charges. They said the officer presented an incomplete and distorted picture of the evidence. A report filed by campus police said a 22-year-old active-duty military service member connected with a woman on Tinder and was invited inside a basement lounge. Within minutes, 'a group of people came out of nowhere and started calling him a pedophile,' accusing him of wanting sex with 17-year-old girls, according to the report. The man told police that he broke free and was chased by at least 25 people to his car, where he was punched in the head and his car door was slammed on him before he managed to flee. RELATED: Assumption students charged in 'To Catch a Predator' TikTok scheme Campus surveillance video shows a large group of students, including the woman, 'all with their cellphones out in what seems to be a recording of the whole episode,' the police statement said. They are seen 'laughing and high fiving with each other' in what appeared to be 'a deliberately staged event,' and there was no evidence to indicate the man was seeking sexual relations with girls, the police report said. Randall had told officers they were inspired by the 'catch a predator' trend, which he said 'is big on TikTok.' He said their group shared ideas of what to tell the man through the Tinder app to lure him to campus, and then spread word through a dormitory chat group that a 'predator' was in the building, the report said. After the assault, Brainard reported the man to police as a sexual predator, police said, which they determined to be false. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Boston Globe
09-04-2025
- Boston Globe
Kidnapping charges dropped against 5 Assumption University students in alleged ‘To Catch a Predator' incident
But two of the students who allegedly played significant roles in what a defense attorney described as a 'poorly thought-out plan' will still be prosecuted in connection to the Oct. 1 incident, records show. Advertisement Kelsy Brainard, who allegedly chatted with the man on Tinder and told him she was 17 but about to turn 18, remains charged with misleading police, records show. Brainard allegedly told campus police that a 'sexual predator' and 'creepy' man had made unwanted contact with her, but security video showed her welcoming the man and bringing him inside a college building where other students were waiting to confront him, records show. Kevin Carroll, 18, remains charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon for repeatedly slamming a car door on the man's head as he was trying to return to his car and get away from the students who were following him, records show. A status hearing is scheduled for May for Brainard and Carroll, records show. Advertisement John R. Ellement can be reached at
