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Massachusetts College Students’ Conspiracy and Kidnapping Charges Dismissed
A judge has thrown out conspiracy and abduction charges against five Massachusetts college students who were accused of plotting to entice a man to their campus using a dating application and then detaining him as part of a social media trend. The Assumption University undergraduates, all in their teens, were formally charged in January and pleaded not guilty. Their attorneys subsequently submitted motions seeking to drop the charges, asserting that authorities lacked justification to believe they had committed any offenses.
Judge Dismisses Charges After Hearing
Following a hearing last month, a Worcester District Court judge on Tuesday ordered the dismissal of the conspiracy and kidnapping charges against Kelsy Brainard, Easton Randall, Kevin Carroll, Isabella Trudeau, and Joaquin Smith. It remained unclear whether charges were still pending against a sixth student, whose case was being handled in juvenile court.
“To Catch a Predator” Trend Allegedly Inspired Students
According to a statement of facts in the case, one of the charged students informed police that the social media trend was modeled after “To Catch a Predator,” NBC’s canceled program. This show, which ran for three seasons, aimed to apprehend adults attempting to exploit minors by employing undercover cameras and decoys posing as underage individuals.
Details of the Incident at Assumption University
Law enforcement stated that Brainard’s Tinder account was used to attract the man to the private, Roman Catholic university in Worcester in October of last year. The encounter was reportedly recorded on video.
Remaining Charges for Two Students
Despite the dismissal of conspiracy and kidnapping charges, Brainard still faces a charge of witness intimidation, and Carroll faces a charge of aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
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Legal Representatives Respond
“We are thankful that the court, after a fair hearing and careful deliberation, applied the law appropriately,” stated Christopher Todd, Brainard’s lawyer, in an email on Wednesday. “No decisions have been made regarding our course of action for the remaining count.” A request for comment was sent via email to Carroll’s lawyer on Wednesday.
University and District Attorney Comments
Assumption University spokesperson Matt McDermott stated in an email Wednesday that the Assumption University Police Department “fulfilled its responsibility as an accredited law enforcement agency by filing charges outlining the facts of the incident and the elements of a crime under Massachusetts law.” He added, “The district attorney accepted and prosecuted those charges. All charges in the case, including those that remain, are within the purview of the judicial system to resolve.”
District Attorney’s office spokesperson Lindsay Corcoran explained in an email that their office’s rules of professional conduct prevent them from commenting “as there are still pending cases in this matter.”
Police Report Details Victim Account
A campus police report detailed that a 22-year-old active-duty military service member connected with a woman on Tinder in October and was invited into a basement lounge. The report stated that within minutes, “a group of people emerged from nowhere and began calling him a pedophile,” accusing him of seeking sexual relations with 17-year-old girls.
The man informed police that he managed to break free and was pursued by at least 25 individuals to his vehicle. He reported being punched in the head and having his car door slammed on him before he could escape.
Surveillance Video and Police Findings
Campus surveillance video reportedly shows a large assembly of students, including the woman, “all holding their cellphones, seemingly recording the entire episode,” according to the police statement. They were observed “laughing and high-fiving each other” in what appeared to be “a premeditated event.” The police report also noted that there was no evidence to suggest the man was attempting to engage in sexual activity with underage girls.
Defense Arguments for Dismissal
Todd’s motion to dismiss argued that the video does not depict anyone actively attempting to restrain the man and that Brainard remained on the couch in the lounge after he departed. He asserted that this was insufficient evidence to demonstrate “that she was willing to assist in this ‘kidnapping.’” Todd further contended that there was no evidence of a scheme to detain the man against his will.
Todd stated that a review of the Tinder app conversation revealed the woman saying she was 17 and soon to turn 18. The man responded, “that’s fine, you’re in college.”
“To Catch a Predator” Program Context
“To Catch a Predator,” broadcast from 2004 to 2007, utilized hidden cameras and individuals posing as minors in online chat rooms to lure alleged predators to houses where the host would confront them. The program did not endorse or involve any violence.