Tue Jan 07 05:20:00 IST 2025: ## Five College Students Charged in “To Catch a Predator”-Inspired Ambush of Soldier

**Worcester, MA –** Five Assumption University students face criminal charges after allegedly luring a 22-year-old soldier to campus and ambushing him in a disturbing incident inspired by the TV show “To Catch a Predator.” The October 1st attack, detailed in a Worcester District Court criminal complaint, involved nearly 30 students who chased the victim after he was invited to campus via the dating app Tinder by an 18-year-old student, Kelsy Brainard.

The complaint states that the victim, an active-duty Army soldier currently deployed overseas, showed no indication of intending to meet anyone underage. Brainard, who listed her age on her profile, and the other students allegedly staged the event, filming it on their phones as they confronted the victim, falsely accusing him of being a sexual offender, and preventing him from leaving. One student, a minor, allegedly punched the victim, and another slammed his head into his car door. The group subsequently returned to the scene, laughing and high-fiving.

Nineteen-year-old Easton Randall admitted to police that the students were inspired by “To Catch a Predator” and a related TikTok trend, which involves tricking individuals into situations before confronting them. Randall, Brainard, Isabella Trudeau (18), and Joaquin Smith (18) are charged with kidnapping and conspiracy. Kevin Carroll (18) faces charges of assault and battery with a deadly weapon for allegedly slamming the victim’s head into his car door. Brainard also faces an intimidation charge.

Assumption University President Greg Weiner condemned the incident, calling it “abhorrent and antithetical” to the school’s values. He noted the victim’s service in the military, highlighting the irony of an attack on someone defending the freedoms that allow for a college education. The students are scheduled to appear in court on January 16th.

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