WORCESTER—Five Assumption University students face serious criminal charges, including kidnapping and conspiracy, following an alleged attack on a man they falsely labeled a sexual predator, according to reports.
The Oct. 1 incident was reportedly inspired by a TikTok trend mimicking the television show “To Catch a Predator,” where individuals attempt to expose alleged predators, often leading to dangerous confrontations.
The students — Easton Randall, 19, of Jericho, Vermont; Kevin Carroll, 18, of Holden; Isabella Trudeau, 18, of Sterling; Kelsy Brainard, 18, of Holyoke; and Joaquin Smith, 18, of West Haven, Connecticut — along with an unnamed minor, are accused of coordinating the assault on the private Catholic university’s campus in Worcester.
According to court documents obtained by the Telegram & Gazette, Brainard matched with the victim on Tinder and invited him to the campus, where she falsely claimed he was seeking to meet a 17-year-old girl. Police say Brainard’s Tinder profile listed her as 18, and no evidence supported the claim that the man was seeking underage girls.
When the man arrived, surveillance and cellphone footage show a group of students confronting him in a lounge, accusing him of predatory behavior, and preventing him from leaving. According to the Telegram, police allege the confrontation escalated into a chase involving a mob of 25–30 students, some of whom assaulted the man and damaged his car.
Carroll reportedly admitted to slamming the victim’s head into his car door during the altercation, according to a report from CBS News. The man, who is also 18 and was visiting Worcester for a family funeral, managed to escape and called police, reports MassLive.
Brainard and other students are accused of fabricating and minimizing their roles during police questioning. Video evidence showed Brainard and the victim sitting calmly before the ambush.
Assumption College spokesperson Marissa Gregg described the behavior to the Worcester Guardian as “abhorrent and antithetical to Assumption University’s mission and values,” emphasizing the serious harm that social media can cause when it encourages dangerous and irresponsible actions.
Gregg stated that the university expects students to uphold principles of respect, responsibility, and dignity, which define the campus community. She noted that the public safety team, working with other departments, launched a thorough investigation with concern for the victim as a priority, leading to the charges against the named students.
While declining to comment on ongoing student conduct investigations, Gregg reaffirmed the university’s commitment to fostering a respectful and safe environment for everyone, including guests, and strongly condemned all forms of violence and misconduct.
Charlene Arsenault can be reached at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org
