Five Massachusetts college students appeared in court in Worcester, facing charges of conspiracy and kidnapping for allegedly luring a man to their campus through a dating app as part of a “Catch a Predator” trend on TikTok. The defendants, all teenagers, stood stone-faced in court as not-guilty pleas were entered for them. They are due back in court on March 28 for a pre-trial conference.
The students used a female student’s Tinder account to invite the man to the campus, where they accused him of being a predator and physically assaulted him. Campus surveillance footage showed the students laughing and recording the incident, indicating it was a staged event. The man, a 22-year-old active-duty military service member in town for his grandmother’s funeral, managed to escape after being chased and assaulted by the group.
According to police, the group was inspired by a trend on TikTok and shared ideas on how to lure the man to campus before spreading rumors about him being a predator. The female student who lured the man also faces an additional charge of witness intimidation.
Lawyers for the defendants maintain their innocence, with one filing a motion seeking dismissal of the charges against their client. The teens were ordered to have no contact with the man targeted in the incident.
The case has raised concerns about the influence of social media trends on impressionable individuals and the potential consequences of such actions. The defendants will await further legal proceedings as the investigation continues.
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