On Thursday, a group of five Assumption University students appeared in Worcester District Court, confronting serious accusations linked to a recent event involving a soldier and a viral social media trend.
All in their late teens, the students are charged with conspiring to use a dating app to lure an active-duty military member to their college campus, where they reportedly intended to expose him as part of a “Catch a Predator” movement popularized on TikTok.
Defendants and Charges
The defendants—Kelsy Brainard, 18; Easton Randall, 19; Kevin Carroll, 18; Isabella Trudeau, 18; and Joaquin Smith, 18—pleaded not guilty to the charges.
A sixth participant is facing separate legal proceedings in juvenile court.
The group is expected back for a pre-trial conference on March 28.
Court records indicate that Brainard allegedly used her Tinder account to attract the soldier to the private Roman Catholic university.
In addition to the main charges, she also faces accusations of intimidating a witness.
Another male member of the group is charged with assault and battery involving a dangerous weapon.
Incident Details
According to police reports, the 22-year-old soldier was in the area to attend his grandmother’s funeral in October and was seeking companionship.
He matched with a Tinder profile that claimed to represent an 18-year-old woman and accepted an invitation to meet.
Upon arriving, he found himself in a basement lounge, where he was confronted by a crowd accusing him of being a predator targeting underage girls.
The soldier described the encounter as traumatic: after being cornered by approximately 25 people, he managed to escape only to be pursued to his car, where he suffered physical assault.
Investigation Findings
Surveillance footage captured numerous students, including Brainard, recording the chaotic scene on their phones, suggesting that the incident was premeditated.
Throughout the investigation, no evidence emerged that the soldier had shown any interest in minors.
Randall shared with law enforcement that the group was inspired by the “Catch a Predator” trend circulating on TikTok.
He stated they collaborated to develop strategies to lure the soldier via Tinder, later sharing news in a dorm chat that a suspected predator was on the premises.
An analysis of their digital conversations revealed no indications that the soldier intended to pursue relationships with anyone underage.
After the confrontation, Brainard wrongly claimed to police that the soldier was a sexual predator, asserting he had invaded the campus and that a male friend had come to her defense.
However, security footage did not back up her claims.
As the proceedings wrapped up, the court imposed a no-contact order between the students and the soldier.
Brainard’s attorney expressed hope that the judicial process would unfold fairly.
In contrast, Trudeau’s lawyer declared her innocence and filed a motion to dismiss, arguing there was insufficient probable cause for the charges against her.
Attorneys representing the other defendants did not immediately comment on the situation.
Source: Militarytimes