The students said they are not guilty of the ‘To Catch a Predator’ trend of targeting the military

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Five students at a Massachusetts Christian college made their first court appearance Thursday accused of using a dating app to lure an Army soldier into their camp and attacking a TikTok trend to “catch a predator.”

Assumption University students were arraigned in Paper Circuit Court on conspiracy and kidnapping charges. Easton Randall, 19, entered a not guilty plea. Kevin Carroll, 18; Isabella Trudeau, 18; Joaquin Smith, 18; and Kelsey Brainard, 18, whose Tinder account was used to lure a 22-year-old Army soldier.

He is scheduled to appear again on March 28, according to online court records. A sixth grader has also been charged.

A relative of the victim told Fox News Digital that the 22-year-old was deployed to the Middle East shortly after the horrific incident.

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Kelsey Brainard leaves court after her arraignment Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Worcester District Court, Massachusetts. Brainard is one of 6 students who ambushed a US soldier in the online “Catch a Hunter” game. (David Maglin for Fox News Digital)

The unlikely man was at his grandmother’s funeral in Worcester on Oct. 1 before agreeing to meet Brainard on Tinder that night, he told police. The soldier later told Assumption University police that they were “trying to meet up” and that he “wanted to be with happy people after the funeral.”

According to messages he exchanged with Brainard on the app and shared with police and Brainard’s profile, which indicated she was 18, “there was no evidence to suggest that the victim was seeking sexual contact with underage girls,” and police said in charging documents obtained by Fox News Digital that “Tinder “Using as originally designed… to start a hook,” he wrote.

A “mass” of 25 to 30 people appeared minutes after the victim met Brainard, calling him a “rapist” who “liked to have sex with 17-year-old girls.” Before he was cornered, the victim was sitting next to Brainard watching a game in the student hall, and surveillance footage showed “there was a large amount of personal space between them” and Brainard was “laughing and smiling.”

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Isabella Trudeau appeared in Worcester District Court, Massachusetts.

Isabella Trudeau is arraigned in Worcester District Court, Massachusetts, Thursday, January 16, 2025. Trudeau is one of six Assumption University students arrested in connection with the ambush and killing of a US soldier. (David Maglin for Fox News Digital)

Surveillance footage shows the group surrounding the victim and preventing him from leaving around 10:30 p.m., police wrote. Although the victim was able to escape, he was chased by “people in plain sight who used their phones to film the persecution”.

Police said the trooper was punched in the back by a juvenile student, whose name was not released in court documents because of his age. Carroll then slammed the victim’s head into the car door, according to court documents, and students drove the victim’s vehicle out of the parking lot.

According to court documents, Carroll faces additional charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

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Joaquin Smith left the court after being arraigned in Worcester District Court

Joaquin Smith leaves court after his arraignment Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Worcester District Court, Massachusetts. Smith is one of six Assumption University students arrested in connection with the ambush and killing of a U.S. soldier following the “Catch a Hunter” online trend. (David Maglin for Fox News Digital)

A few minutes later, the group can be seen on surveillance footage laughing and “high-fifiting” as they re-enter the building, police wrote.

Campus police learned of the incident after Brainard reported that “a lewd person had come to campus to meet an underage female.” She said she texted Randall, who “came down (to the lounge) to help a sex predator.”

La Maison Francaise on the campus of Assumption University on October 1, when a 22-year-old soldier was lured through Tinder and assaulted by students.

La Maison Francaise on the campus of Assumption University on October 1, when a 22-year-old soldier was lured through Tinder and assaulted by students. (Rick Sinclair/Telegram & Gazette/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Although she says she met the “creepy” guy on Tinder, she said, “He came[to campus]uninvited.”

Campus police were unable to locate the alleged predator on campus, but began reviewing security footage and interviewing students after being contacted by Worcester police about the alleged assault at Assump University.

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Kevin Carroll appeared in Massachusetts Worcester District Court

Kevin Carroll is arraigned Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Worcester District Court in Massachusetts. Carroll is one of six Assumption University students arrested in connection with the ambush and killing of a U.S. soldier following the “Hunter Catch” online trend. He was further charged with hitting the victim’s head on the car door. (David Maglin for Fox News Digital)

Further investigation showed that “a small group of the group” – the students are now facing criminal charges – “conspired with each other to lure the victim to the property and asked for help to “catch a predator” in group texts.

According to court documents, the purpose of the Tinder invitation was to imitate the Tik Tok fashion by luring a sexual predator to a location and physically assaulting him or calling the police.

The accused students were all sitting together when Brainard sent Tinder messages back and forth with the victim “when the idea of ​​Catch a Predator came to mind,” Randall later told police.

Easton Randall appeared in Worcester District Court, Massachusetts

Easton Randall was arraigned Thursday, January 16, 2025 in Worcester District Court in Massachusetts. Randall is one of six Assumption University students arrested in connection with the ambush and killing of a US soldier. (David Maglin for Fox News Digital)

“They all came up with ideas and agreed to what was sent to (the victim) and … others became aware of the illegal scheme and joined the conspiracy.”

Randall told campus police, “Getting a Hunter on Tik Tok was a big deal at the time, but this got out of hand and it got bad,” police wrote.

Joaquin Smith appeared in Worcester District Court in Massachusetts

Joaquin Smith is arraigned Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Worcester District Court in Massachusetts. Smith is one of six Assumption University students arrested in connection with the ambush and killing of a US soldier. (David Maglin for Fox News Digital)

When the victim arrived on campus, one of the men sent them a group chat message saying simply, “They’re hiring a predator,” sparking a “rabid” response from students, the court heard. Records.

Guess University

Assumption University in Worcester, Massachusetts. (Christine Peterson/Worcester Telegram & Gazette via USA TODAY Network)

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Brainard downplayed her responsibility, records show, saying she “didn’t know what was going to happen” when confronted by campus police about the falsehood. But police wrote that she was seen laughing and smiling on surveillance footage as the male students landed on Tinder matches.

Attorneys representing the six students did not return Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.