WORCESTER, Mass. — Six college students from Massachusetts are facing legal charges after allegedly assaulting a man who was lured to their campus through a dating app as part of a misguided trend similar to the “Catch a Predator” phenomenon circulating on social media.
These students are scheduled for arraignment on January 16 in Worcester, Massachusetts. The incident involved a man who is currently serving in the military. He reported to the authorities that during a visit for his grandmother’s funeral in October, he connected with a student from Assumption University on Tinder, where she had listed her age as 18.
Upon his arrival, he claimed a large group confronted him, accusing him of being a pedophile and implying that he was seeking inappropriate relations with minors. According to the police reports, the man described being overwhelmed by the group’s aggression, but he managed to escape despite being pursued by around 25 people. He reached his vehicle, although he was allegedly struck and had his car door slammed on him just before he managed to drive away and contact the police.
Surveillance footage from the campus depicted the woman leading him to a basement lounge before he fled upstairs, followed closely by the group, all reportedly recording the encounter on their phones. Shortly after, the woman and others could be seen returning to their original spot, appearing to celebrate the incident with laughter and high fives.
Following the altercation, the woman accused the man of being a sexual predator, stating that she felt unsafe. She claimed he had come to the campus uninvited and labeled him as “creepy,” mentioning that she had texted a friend who pursued the man away.
Upon reviewing the evidence, campus police concluded that the woman’s accusations were false, verified by the surveillance footage, which indicated that videos of the incident had been shared among students. As a consequence, she along with another four adult students are facing charges including kidnapping and conspiracy. Additionally, she is charged with witness intimidation, and one of her accomplices faces an assault and battery charge. One member of the group is a juvenile.
Authorities assert that these students planned to replicate the viral TikTok trend of luring supposed sexual predators to a designated location and then physically assaulting them or notifying law enforcement. One student explicitly referred to “To Catch a Predator,” the NBC show from the mid-2000s that showcased adults posing as minors to catch men attempting to engage in illegal activities.
The police report noted that one of the students mentioned how the “catch a predator” trend has gained wild popularity on TikTok recently, suggesting their actions escalated beyond expectations.
In a related case, last month, 11 teenagers from Illinois faced charges for assaults against men they had encountered on dating apps after discovering similar ideas on social media.
Assumption University President Greg Weiner condemned the actions described in the official filings, stating that they contradict the institution’s core values and mission. He emphasized that this incident is especially distressing given that the victim is an active-duty military member, whose sacrifices underline the freedoms that allow students to pursue their education.
