Five students from Assumption University appeared in Worcester District Court on Thursday, facing charges related to a TikTok-inspired plot to lure a man to campus under false pretenses and accuse him of predatory behavior.
The defendants, all aged 18 or 19, entered not-guilty pleas to charges of conspiracy and kidnapping. One student, Kelsy Brainard, faces an additional charge of witness intimidation, while another defendant faces an assault and battery charge. A sixth individual is being arraigned separately in juvenile court.
The Alleged Incident: A Staged “Catch a Predator” Plot
Police allege the group used Brainard’s Tinder account to lure a 22-year-old military service member to the university in October. The man, who said he was in town for his grandmother’s funeral, responded to a profile invitation and arrived at the campus, expecting to meet an 18-year-old woman.
According to the police report, the man was led into a basement lounge, where a group of students ambushed him, accused him of seeking underage girls, and filmed the confrontation. Surveillance footage reportedly shows the students laughing, high-fiving, and recording the encounter.
The man managed to escape after being chased to his car, where he was allegedly punched in the head and had his car door slammed on him.
TikTok Trend at the Center of the Case
The plot was reportedly inspired by the “catch a predator” trend on TikTok, where individuals stage confrontations with alleged sexual predators. One of the defendants, Easton Randall, told police the group coordinated the plan via a dormitory chat group, spreading false information that the man was targeting underage girls.
Campus police reviewed messages and surveillance footage, finding no evidence to support the claims against the man.
False Report and Aftermath
After the confrontation, Brainard allegedly filed a false police report, claiming the man was a sexual predator and that she felt frightened by his presence. However, campus police concluded that her statements were fabricated, based on video evidence and student-shared recordings of the staged event.
The teens were ordered to have no contact with the man as a condition of their release.
Defense and Next Steps
Defense attorneys for the students expressed confidence in their clients’ innocence. Brainard’s attorney, Christopher Todd, stated, “We’re just looking forward to having the process play out.” Robert Iacovelli, representing Isabella Trudeau, filed a motion seeking dismissal of charges, citing a lack of probable cause.
The case is set to continue with a pre-trial conference on March 28.