College students appear in court in case stemming from ‘Catch a Predator’ fad on TikTok

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — Five Massachusetts college students appeared in court Thursday, accused of plotting to lure a man to their campus through a dating app and then seizing him as part of a “Catch a Predator” trend on TikTok.

The Assumption University students, all teenagers, were arraigned on conspiracy and kidnapping charges. Not-guilty pleas were entered for all of them, and they are due back in Worcester District Court on March 28 for a pre-trial conference.

The defendants — Kelsy Brainard, 18; Easton Randall, 19; Kevin Carroll, 18; Isabella Trudeau, 18; and Joaquin Smith, 18 — stood stone-faced in court, showing little emotion and addressing a judge only through attorneys. A sixth defendant was being arraigned separately in juvenile court.

Police said Brainard's Tinder account was used to lure the man to the private, Roman Catholic school in Worcester. She faces an additional charge of witness intimidation. A male student in the group also faces a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

The target — a 22-year-old active-duty military service member — told police he was in town for his grandmother’s funeral in October and “just wanted to be around people that were happy,” according to a campus police report. So he turned to Tinder, where a woman whose profile said she was 18 invited him over.

She greeted him, led him into a basement lounge, and then within minutes, "a group of people came out of nowhere and started calling him a pedophile,” accusing him of wanting sex with 17-year-old girls, according to the report.

The man told police that he broke free and was chased by at least 25 people to his car, where he was punched in the head and his car door was slammed on him before he managed to flee.

Campus surveillance video shows a large group of students, including the woman, “all with their cellphones out in what seems to be a recording of the whole episode,” the police statement said. They are seen “laughing and high fiving with each other” in what appeared to be “a deliberately staged event,” and there was no evidence to indicate the man was seeking sexual relations with underage girls, the police report said.

Randall told officers they were inspired by the “catch a predator” trend, which he said “is big on TikTok” at the moment. He said their group shared ideas of what to tell the man through the Tinder app to lure him to campus, and then spread word through a dormitory chat group that a “predator” was in the building, the report said.

A review of the messages showed no indication that the man was looking for underage girls, police said.

After the assault, Brainard reported the man to police as a sexual predator and said she was frightened by him. She said he had come to campus uninvited and that she texted a male friend who chased him away. All of this was false, campus police concluded after reviewing surveillance recordings and finding that “first person perspective videos” were being circulated among students.

Before leaving court, where cameras were turned on them, the teens were ordered to have no contact with the targeted man.

A lawyer for Brainard, Christopher Todd, said, “We’re just looking forward to having the process play out.” The lawyer for Trudeau, Robert Iacovelli, said afterward that she's innocent. He filed a motion seeking dismissal of the charges against her, saying authorities lack probable cause to believe she committed a crime.

Other attorneys were not immediately reached for comment about their pleas.

Whittle reported from Portland, Maine.

FILE - The icon for the dating app Tinder appears on a device, July 28, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)

Kelsy Brainard appears district court as she and four other Massachusetts college students made their first appearance on conspiracy and kidnapping charges in Worcester, Mass, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Easton Randall appears at district court as he and four other Massachusetts college students made their first appearance on conspiracy and kidnapping charges in Worcester, Mass, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Kevin Carroll appears at district court as he and four other Massachusetts college students made their first appearance on conspiracy and kidnapping charges in Worcester, Mass, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Joaquin Smith appears at district court as he and four other Massachusetts college students made their first appearance on conspiracy and kidnapping charges in Worcester, Mass, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Isabella Trudeau appears at district court as she and four other Massachusetts college students made their first appearance on conspiracy and kidnapping charges in Worcester, Mass, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Kelsy Brainard appears district court as she and four other Massachusetts college students made their first appearance on conspiracy and kidnapping charges in Worcester, Mass, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Broncos were slogging their way through a rare clunker Sunday against the Green Bay Packers when cornerback Pat Surtain II delivered the game-saving takeaway.

The reigning NFL defensive player of the year laid out for Jordan Love's deep throw to Christian Watson and secured his first interception of an injury-marred season, one that sparked the Broncos' playoff-clinching, come-from-behind 34-26 win Sunday.

“We may have to use him on offense some,” Bo Nix cracked.

Denver's second-year QB actually had plenty of firepower. Nix tied a career high with four touchdown passes — connecting with Michael Bandy, Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin and Lil'Jordan Humphrey — to lead the Broncos (12-2) to their 11th consecutive victory.

The Broncos clinched a playoff berth and moved a game ahead of New England for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. They stayed two games ahead of the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC West.

Green Bay lost star lost star pass rusher Micah Parsons, who went down with a non-contact knee injury while chasing down Nix. Parsons, who had energized the green and gold ever since his stunning trade from Dallas a week before the season opener, is believed to have suffered a torn ACL in his left knee, a person with knowledge of the injury told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the severity of the injury hadn’t been confirmed by tests.

“I’m sickened,” Parsons, who forced a fumble on Denver's opening drive, told the AP in a text message.

Parsons’ injury is a devastating blow to the Packers (9-4-1), who fell a half-game behind the NFC North-leading Chicago Bears ahead of their Soldier Field showdown next weekend.

Parsons was steps away from a sack when he suddenly pulled up and fell to the ground, grabbing at his left knee.

The Packers also lost Watson to a chest injury after Surtain fell on him following his third-quarter interception. Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur confirmed that Watson went to a hospital for tests.

“I told the guys, ‘Nobody is going to feel sorry for us,’” LaFleur said. “Everybody’s going to have to elevate their play.”

The Packers opened the second half with a TD drive to take a 23-14 lead. After Denver went three-and-out, the Packers went for the kill shot with a deep throw to Watson on first down and Surtain came away with the ball, re-energizing both his sideline and the crowd.

“I think a play like that, a sudden turnover, just gets some adrenaline, gets some emotion back in the game,” said Nix, who capitalized on the takeaway by leading a touchdown drive that trimmed Denver's deficit to 23-21.

“He's had some ups and downs this season, he's battled through it, and that was a Pat Surtain play right there. None many can make it,” Nix said. “Big-time players make big plays in big moments.”

Riley Moss also recorded his first interceptions of the season. The Broncos sacked Love three times and held the Packers to just one touchdown in four trips into the red zone while going 4 for 4 themselves.

After scoring on their first five drives, the Packers managed one field goal in their final half-dozen possessions. The others ended in a pair of picks, two turnovers on downs and a punt.

“We got a lot of fight,” Surtain said. “The Packers, they got a great team on both sides of the ball. We knew it wasn't going to be easy. We kept reiterating that throughout the whole ball game: just finish, finish, finish and we'll get the job done. ... In order for us to be great, we've got to find a way to win those games.”

Surtain was one of several Broncos who comforted Parsons as the Packers' medical personnel attended to him on the field.

“It's very tough,” Surtain said. “Micah, he's a great player in this league and when you see a player of his caliber go down, we feel for him.”

The game featured a half-dozen lead changes.

“Well, we talked about it at halftime and we said that's the habitat we've been living in,” said Broncos coach Sean Payton, whose team has pulled out nine one-score victories during its 11-game winning streak, the franchise's longest since 2012.

“When you get comfortable operating in those games, you don't think anything of it,” Payton added.

Former Broncos kicker Brandon McManus kicked field goals of 56, 23 and 35 yards to help the Packers take a 16-14 halftime lead and added a 37-yarder in the fourth quarter that pulled Green Bay within 27-26 before the Broncos iced it on R.J. Harvey's 4-yard TD run.

Packers: In addition to Parsons and Watson, TE Josh Whyle (concussion) and RT Zach Tom (knee) got hurt.

Broncos: Harvey (ribs) was injured late in the game. Also, ILB Justin Strnad (right ankle) and S Brandon Jones (pectoral) got hurt and didn't return.

Packers. At Chicago on Saturday.

Broncos: Host Jacksonville next Sunday.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Green Bay Packers' Christian Watson is hurt after Denver Broncos' Pat Surtain II intercepts a pass during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Denver Broncos' Riley Moss celebrates an interception during the second half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Green Bay Packers' Keisean Nixon tries to stop Denver Broncos' Troy Franklin during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Broncos' RJ Harvey celebrates his touchdown catch during the second half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Green Bay Packers' Micah Parsons reacts after an injury during the second half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Denver Broncos' Bo Nix scrambles during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)