Assumption University students ambushed a soldier in a ‘To Catch a Predator’ TikTok stunt, and a judge later dismissed the most serious charges
An active-duty soldier who was in Worcester, Massachusetts, attending his grandmother’s funeral was targeted in a disturbing incident reminiscent of the television show “To Catch a Predator,” according to the Army Times. The 22-year-old service member, whose name has not been released, had matched on the dating app Tinder with an Assumption University student whose profile listed her age as 18. He was invited to meet on campus on October 1, 2024, and minutes after he arrived in a basement student lounge, a group of students emerged and began accusing him of being a pedophile. The soldier said he was berated, restrained, and accused of wanting sex with underage girls before he broke free; he told police that as many as 25 people chased him to his car, where he was punched, kicked, and had the driver’s-side door slammed on his head before he managed to drive away and call the Worcester Police Department.
Campus police reviewed surveillance and cellphone footage and built a case that the confrontation had been staged. According to the complaint, filed in Worcester District Court on December 4, 2024, the students appeared from hidden spots with their phones recording, were seen “laughing and high fiving” in what officers described as “a deliberately staged event,” and spread word through a dormitory group chat that a “predator” was in the building. One of the students, Easton Randall, told officers that “Catch a Predator is a big thing on TikTok currently, but that this got out of hand and went bad.” Crucially, investigators said the Tinder messages between the soldier and the student showed no indication that he was seeking to meet anyone underage.
The incident appears to have been lifted right out of the playbook of the controversial television show “To Catch a Predator,” with its sting operations employing hidden cameras against individuals who sought to engage in sexual activity with minors.
The show was designed to expose predators but also drew criticism over its methods and the potential for entrapment. Its format often coerced people into a sting in which they would be ambushed and taped by host Chris Hansen. While many viewers found it compelling television, it raised serious questions about due process, privacy, and false reporting. The soldier’s ordeal underscores the danger of meeting strangers found online and the need for caution in such situations. It also highlights the importance of responsible social media use and awareness of the consequences of emulating potentially harmful trends.
Six Students Charged, Then Most Charges Dismissed
Six Assumption University students were ultimately charged in connection with the ambush. Five were arraigned as adults in Worcester District Court on January 16, 2025, where automatic not-guilty pleas were entered on their behalf: Kelsy Brainard, 18, whose Tinder account was allegedly used to lure the soldier; Kevin Carroll, 18; Isabella Trudeau, 18; Joaquin Smith, 18; and Easton Randall, 19. A sixth student, a juvenile, was handled in juvenile court. The five adults were initially charged with kidnapping and conspiracy, with Carroll additionally facing assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and Brainard facing a witness intimidation charge for allegedly misleading police.
The case took a major turn that spring. After defense lawyers argued that prosecutors lacked probable cause, a Worcester District Court judge in April 2025 dismissed the conspiracy and kidnapping charges against all five adult defendants, closing the cases against Randall, Trudeau, and Smith. The judge kept two charges alive: Brainard’s witness intimidation count and Carroll’s assault and battery with a dangerous weapon count. “We are grateful that the court, after a fair hearing and due consideration, applied the law correctly in this situation,” said Christopher Todd, Brainard’s attorney. The Worcester District Attorney’s Office declined to comment, citing the pending matters. Assumption University President Greg Weiner called the alleged behavior “abhorrent and antithetical to Assumption University’s mission and values,” adding that the case was “particularly sobering because the victim is an active-duty military service member.” A relative told reporters the soldier deployed to the Middle East soon after the incident.
Online Vigilantism and Its Dangers
The incident raised concerns about the dangers of online interactions and the influence of social media trends, particularly among young people. The ease with which people connect online can create a false sense of security, leaving someone more open to manipulation, harassment, and even physical harm. Especially troubling here is the element of false accusation and how devastating it can be for those wrongly implicated. The soldier was branded a pedophile—a stigma carrying enormous social weight that can wreak havoc on a person’s reputation, relationships, and job prospects. The episode is a sobering reminder to be careful in online dealings and never to level serious accusations without a factual basis.
The ethics of “To Catch a Predator”–style vigilantism are fraught. Even if the apparent intent of such stunts is to expose predatory behavior, the way they are carried out blurs the line between citizen journalism and law enforcement. By taking the law into their own hands, the students involved themselves in vigilantism that is both dangerous and corrosive to the justice system—conduct that can produce miscarriages of justice, inflame conflict, and feed a culture of fear and mistrust.
This is not the only such case. At Salisbury University, students were charged with hate crimes after luring and attacking a man in an off-campus apartment, the Associated Press reported. Alongside the soldier’s case, it points to a growing pattern of online vigilantism fueled by social media and a hunger for viral notoriety. These incidents underscore the need for greater awareness of such dangers and for responsibility while online.
Conclusion
The ambush of an active-duty soldier by college students brings several pressing problems into focus: internet safety, the consequences of chasing social media trends, and the perils of vigilantism. Inspired by “To Catch a Predator,” the students lured the soldier to campus under false pretenses and falsely branded him a pedophile—only for a judge to later find the most serious charges unsupported by probable cause. While the soldier escaped without life-threatening injuries, the emotional distress and reputational damage from such an attack are profound. The case is a grim reminder of the responsibility that comes with digital citizenship and the need for critical thinking and awareness of the consequences before getting swept up in a dangerous trend.
