Six college students in Massachusetts are facing charges after allegedly luring an active duty service member to their campus and assaulting him based on false accusations of being a sexual predator.
Six college students in Massachusetts were accused of luring an active duty service member whom they falsely described as a sexual predator to their campus, where he was chased by a group of more than two dozen people and assaulted, authorities said.
One of the students charged told police that the plot was modeled on “To Catch a Predator,” NBC’s discontinued program that, during its three seasons, aimed to catch adults seeking to prey preying on minors using undercover cameras and decoys impersonating underage dates, according to a statement of facts in the case. “Catch a predator is a big thing on TikTok currently,” the facts document cites the student, Easton Randall, 19, as saying. Eleven Illinois teens were charged last month in a similar incident that authorities in Mount Prospect, northwest of Chicago, attributed to a “viral social media trend.” In a statement at the time, the city’s police department did not provide additional details about the trend, but police chief Michael Eterno pleaded with parents “to take these incidents as an opportunity to talk with their teenage children about the seriousness of actively participating in these types of trends they see on social media.” At Assumption University, the private Catholic university in Worcester where the six people charged in the plot are students, there was “absolutely” no evidence the man accused by students of being a predator had been seeking sex with a minor, the statement says. Still, he was chased by what the statement describes as a “mob” of between 25 and 30 people — some of them recording the pursuit — and ensnared in a conspiracy carried out by a group of six that includes allegations of “systemic mistreatment, false imprisonment, physical assault and battery and potential character assassination,” according to the university police sergeant who wrote the statemen
ASSAULT SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS CATCH A PREDATOR MOB JUSTICE COLLEGE STUDENTS
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Former Houston park ranger accused of luring and attacking men charged with federal crimesThe FBI said the former Houston park ranger was indicted for repeatedly abusing his authority by stopping, detaining, and assaulting victims who were visiting city parks at night.
Read more »
DFW colleges use new grants to address shortages in in-demand jobsDallas College, Tarrant County College, Collin College, Hill College and Paris Junior College collectively received over $1.4 million from the Texas Higher...
Read more »
College football picks from ESPN's College GameDay for playoff gamesThe guys on ESPN's College GameDay have revealed their predictions for the first round College Football Playoff games today.
Read more »
Best college football hype videos ahead of the College Football PlayoffHere's a look at the top college football hype videos released ahead of the College Football Playoff.
Read more »
College Football Ruling Could Reshape College BaseballA recent NCAA football ruling impacts college baseball eligibility, allowing athletes who attend junior college to maintain full NCAA eligibility.
Read more »
Boston College Tops Fairleigh Dickinson in College BasketballBoston College defeated Fairleigh Dickinson in a college basketball game on Saturday. Donald Hand Jr. led Boston College with 29 points and 10 rebounds.
Read more »