By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-17 06:51:09 | Updated at 2025-01-17 15:08:25
8 hours ago
Six New England college students allegedly used a dating app to lure an active-duty service member to their campus where they ambushed him as part of a deranged “To Catch a Predator” social media trend.
The teenage students from Assumption University appeared stone-faced and spoke to the judge through their lawyers Thursday during their arraignment for conspiracy and kidnapping charges.
Kelsy Brainard, 18 Easton Randall, 19, Kevin Carroll, 18, Isabella Trudeau, 18, and Joaquin Smith, 18, are accused of using Brainard’s Tinder account to lure their 22-year-old victim to the private Roman Catholic school, 45 miles west of Boston in October.
A sixth student, a minor, was arraigned in juvenile court.
The victim told police he was in the area for his grandmother’s funeral and was on the dating app because he “just wanted to be around people that were happy.”
Brainard is accused of walking the unidentified servicemember down to a basement lounge where a group of students came out and allegedly grabbed their victim and stopped him from leaving.
“A group of people came out of nowhere and started calling him a pedophile,” the Associated Press reported, citing a campus police report.
The flock of students accused the soldier of wanting to have sex with 17-year-old girls.
The serviceman broke free from the basement but was allegedly chased back to his car by approximately 25 people, most of whom recorded the chase with their phones.
One student reportedly punched the man in the head.
The victim fled the area before calling the cops to report the assault.
Brainard also filed a police report claiming there was a sexual predator on campus and she was frightened.
She also alleged that one of her male friends chased the uninvited guest.
Officials used surveillance footage to confirm the man was invited inside by Brainard before he was chased out of the building by a group of students with their phones out.
The students were caught on camera “laughing and high-fiving with each other” in what officials called “a deliberately staged event.”
Investigators used the cell phone videos that had circulated online to disprove all the students’ claims.
Brainard’s Tinder profile indicated she was 18 and none of the messages proved the man wanted to have sex with any minors.
Randall told police the group was inspired to create the disturbing plot after seeing the “catch a predator” trend on social media.
Officials uncovered that a smaller group of students were the ones that allegedly plotted the “catch a predator” luring, WWLP reported.
The five students face charges of conspiracy and kidnapping.
Brainard was handed an additional charge for witness intimidation while Carrol was slapped with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Carrol was identified as the student who was accused of slamming the man’s head into the car door.
The minor, who is known by police, was accused by the soldier as the one who punched him.
“We’re just looking forward to having the process play out,” Brainard’s lawyer, Christopher Todd said after the hearing.
Trudeau’s lawyer said she is innocent and filed a motion to dismiss her case because of a lack of evidence.
All five adult students entered not-guilty pleas.
A pre-trial conference is scheduled for March 28.
With Post wires
