Students at a Massachusetts university are facing criminal charges for allegedly beating and kidnapping a 22-year-old soldier after they lured him to the campus as part of a ‘To Catch a Predator’ TikTok trend.
One of the five accused students, 18-year-old Kelsy Brainard, reportedly met the man on Tinder and invited him to come to Assumption University on October 1 so they could ‘try and hook up’.
Unknowingly, the soldier – who wishes to remain anonymous – was about to become the victim of a TikTok recreation of To Catch a Predator where users attempt to recreate the hit television show that attempted to catch adult men trying to meet underage girls online.
Once he arrived at the $70,000-per-year Catholic university he was surrounded by a group of 25 or more students, The New York Times reported.
They then proceeded to start accusing the victim of being a pedophile and of attempting to have sex with 17-year-old girls.
The man told Assumption Police that as he attempted to flee back to his car students filmed him on their cell phones and allegedly started punching him and slamming his head into the car door.
Security footage, seen by police, reportedly showed the group laughing and high-fiving as they left the scene.
After the attack, the unnamed man called the police. Brainard also reported the victim to the cops by falsely claiming he came to campus to meet underage girls.
The entrance to Assumption University in Massachusetts. Five students at the Catholic university have charged with allegedly beating and kidnapping a 22-year-old soldier
Police were told that the students were were attempting to recreate the popular NBC Dateline show ‘To Catch a Predator’ which saw undercover sting operations across America work to catch men attempting to sleep with underage children
Five students – Easton Randall, Kevin Carroll, Joaquin Smith, Isabella Trudeau and Brainard – were charged on December 4 with kidnapping and conspiracy. They have also been accused of orchestrating the ‘deliberately staged event’.
Brainard has been charged with witness intimidation and Carroll was charged with assault and battery after he reportedly admitted to slamming the victim’s head in the car door. An unnamed minor also faces charges.
The incident allegedly started after Randall messaged a group chat telling fellow pupils to ‘come down here we’re catching a predator’.
The 19-year-old reportedly told police that the group were attempting to recreate the popular NBC Dateline show ‘To Catch a Predator’ which saw undercover sting operations across America work to catch men attempting to sleep with underage children.
After a review of Brainard’s dating profile, police found no evidence that the 22-year-old victim was seeking sexual relations with an underage girl.
Police determined that Brainard’s report was ‘false and fabricated’ and ‘her victimization was fraudulently reported to mislead police in believing a sexual predator was on campus to conceal that the subject was lured to campus’, according to court documents obtained by CBS News.
Students at a Assumption University (pictured) are facing criminal charges for allegedly beating and kidnapping a 22-year-old soldier after they lured him to the campus as part of a ‘To Catch a Predator TikTok trend’
The victim told police he was in Worcester, Massachusetts for his grandmother’s funeral when he began talking to Brainard on the dating app.
In a statement, Assumption University said: ‘This incident highlights the very real harm that social media can inflict when it promotes dangerous and irresponsible behavior,’ the statement read in part.
‘While we cannot comment on the ongoing student conduct investigations and attendant disciplinary processes, Assumption University is committed to maintaining a campus environment where every individual is treated with respect and dignity–including guests.
‘We strongly condemn all forms of violence and misconduct, and we are dedicated to fostering a community where all individuals feel safe and supported.’
