
College Students Charged in Viral ‘Predator Trap’ Assault
The ordeal involving college students charged in a viral ‘predator trap’ assault has taken a new turn with a new event that occurred at Assumption University in Worcester, Mass. Here’s a recap from what we know based on recent coverage:
Incident Reference: Assault and Battery✓ Involved Persons Reference: Six (6) Assumption University students were charged after assaulting an active-duty member of the military. The incident was based off a TikTok trend people try to recreate where they imitate the TV show “To Catch a Predator.” They accused the man of being a sexual predator and lured him to campus, supposedly through a dating app.
THE ATTACK DETAILS The man met an 18-year-old student, Kelsy Brainard, via Tinder. When he arrived, he was met by a group of about 25-30 students who alleged that he was, for lack of a better term, looking for sex with minors, even though no evidence further supported the allegations. The attack included the man being pursued, caught, and physically assaulted, including allegedly being slammed against a car door by one student.
Legal Action: Five students faced charges of kidnapping and conspiracy. Additionally:
The woman, Kelsy Brainard, is charged with witness intimidation.
Kevin Carroll is facing charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the physical assault.
One of the students is a juvenile, whose charges were not specified in the public complaints.
Public and Institutional Response: President of Assumption University Greg Weiner called the incident “abhorrent and antithetical to Assumption University’s mission and values.” The university’s Public Safety Department looked into the allegations, resulting in the criminal charges.
In a Broader Context: It appears this incident falls among a host of social media challenges where people inspired by similar challenges online feel the need to confront, even lay hands on suspected predators ─ often without evidence or authority to do so. Reports like those in Illinois show an alarming trend in which a social media trend translates into real-world vigilante activities.
These bits and outliers are from several news stories written by the likes of NBC News, AP News, WCVB and the like, illustrating the dangerous prospect of vigilante justice, especially as it’s fed by a combination of social media trends and personal anxiety.
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