Six Worcester, Massachusetts, college students are facing felony kidnapping charges after a botched October attempt to participate in the online “to catch a predator” trend led to alleged false pedophile accusations and a violent mob.
[RELATED: 16-Year-Old Girl Shot During Assault on Dennison Street in Auburn…]
The six students of Worcester’s Assumption College allegedly lured a man into the college’s Alumni Hall lounge in October and reportedly forcibly restrained him.
Although the alleged incident occurred in October, the Worcester Telegram and Gazette first revealed details of the situation on Tuesday after reviewing a statement of facts from Assumption Police Sgt. Christopher Shea.
According to court documents, the group of students was trying to participate in the “To Catch a Predator” social media trend, based on a mid-2000s reality show of the same name, featuring sting operations exposing pedophiles.
The students charged with kidnapping allegedly lured the victim to campus after 18-year-old Kelsy Brainard of Holyoke, Massachusetts, communicated with him on the popular dating site Tinder and encouraged him to meet her on campus.
When the victim arrived at the lounge, he was confronted by a group of students hiding in the lounge, according to Shea’s testimony, who accused him of pedophilia.
Shea claimed that the students physically restrained the man, who was nonetheless able to escape, while they filmed the incident for social media.
A mob of between 25 and 30 students then reportedly pursued the victim, with one student allegedly striking him on the back of the head and others assaulting him while he attempted to get into his car to escape.
One student, Kevin Carroll, 18, of Holden, Massachusetts, allegedly admitted to slamming the victim’s head with his car door.
Brainard allegedly claimed that the victim was trying to meet a 17-year-old girl, but a police investigation found no evidence that the victim believed he was meeting a minor.
Brainard’s Tinder account, used to contact the victim, accurately listed her age as 18.
Shea’s report accused Brainard of providing false testimony about the incident, later contradicted by video footage.
He claimed that she later admitted to providing him with false information.
“There is absolutely no evidence presented to indicate that [the victim] was seeking sexual relations with underage girls,” said Shea.
Brainard faces charges of kidnapping, conspiracy, and witness intimidation, while Carroll faces kidnapping charges, along with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
The other students charged include Isabella Trudeau, 18, of Sterling, Massachusetts, Joaquin Smith, 18, of West Haven, Connecticut, Easton Randall, 19, of Jericho, Vermont, and an unnamed minor.
Each faces felony kidnapping charges that could result in up to 10 years in prison.
Although the incident allegedly included as many as 30 students, police only charged the six they believe are most responsible for inciting the violence.
Law enforcement did not reveal the name or age of the alleged victim, nor did they provide any details on why the students believed he would be a good target for a sting operation targeting pedophiles.
Is that not a holy school?