A school learning support assistant has been accused of grooming a 15-year-old pupil, taking him to her home and showing a collection of sex toys and handcuffs.
asserted
assistant → accuse → toys
Melanie Rock, 34, allegedly gave the pupil a 'koala hug' by pressing her body against his and stretching her legs around him while they lay on her bed, a court heard.
uncertain
court → give → bed
Prosecutors allege that she showered the schoolboy with gifts – including £385 worth of clothing – and took him out for food before inviting him back to her house.
asserted
she → allege → house
A court heard that Rock, from Cowes on the Isle of Wight, told the boy she would lose her job when they bumped into another teacher from Medina College in public if he did not lie and say he was her godson.
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he → hear → public
She is now on trial at Isle of Wight Crown Court charged with meeting a child following sexual grooming and sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust.
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She → charge → trust
Rock denies the charges.
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Rock → deny → charges
The sexual activity charge relates to the allegation she gave the boy a 'koala hug'.
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she → relate → hug
Prosecutor Tim Devlin said Rock was 31 when the alleged offences happened and worked as a learning support assistant at Medina College on the Isle of Wight.
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offences → say → Wight
Mr Devlin said the boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was 15 and a pupil at the school and they first exchanged messages on Instagram before Rock began meeting the teenager outside school.
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Rock → say → school
Melanie Rock is pictured outside Isle of Wight Crown Court where she has pleaded not guilty to charges relating to the alleged grooming of a 15-year-old boy - she has pleaded not guilty
Rock allegedly picked him up several times over a week-long period.
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Rock → picture → period
Jurors heard that on one occasion Rock took the boy to KFC and later collected the teenager on October 31 before taking him to a cashpoint and an amusement arcade in Sandown, Isle of Wight.
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Rock → hear → Wight
The boy alleged Rock slipped him a £20 note and later gave him £25 to spend at the arcade before they went to her home in Cowes, ate Domino's pizza and went trick-or-treating.
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they → allege → trick
In a police interview recorded in 2023 and played to the jury, the boy described lying on Rock's bed after she told him he could vape in her bedroom, saying that Rock rested her head and back on his knees.
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Rock → record → knees
When he sat up, Rock allegedly hugged him from behind, pressing her body against his and stretching her legs around him, which he described as a 'koala hug'.
He also said that Rock invited him to 'enjoy her room' and 'directed him' towards a drawer containing a blue bag, handcuffs, black see-through lingerie and sex toys.
uncertain
Rock → sit → bag
The teenager told police he later saw Rock holding the items up to him from her bedroom while he was in the living room and that he initially laughed but later felt uncomfortable.
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he → tell → room
On another occasion, Rock allegedly met the teenager in a shop car park and bought him four disposable vapes.
uncertain
Rock → meet → vapes
Rock also allegedly bought the teenager £385 worth of black Trapstar clothing, as well as vapes, and gave him money.
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Rock → buy → money
Mr Devlin said the final meeting took place when Rock collected the boy and took him to Pizza Hut.
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Rock → say → Hut
While there, they encountered a teacher from Medina College.
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they → encounter → College
The boy said Rock told him: 'We need to make something up because if he sees us, I'm going to lose my job.'
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I → say → job
Mr Devlin said Rock claimed the teenager was her godson and encouraged him to speak to the teacher, so the situation did not 'look weird'.
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situation → say → teacher
The teacher did not believe the explanation and reported seeing the pair together to the school, jurors heard.
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jurors → believe → school
The school learned about the meetings the next day and the teenager spoke to a senior teacher at Medina College.
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teenager → learn → College
Mr Devlin said Rock told police they had met by chance, she bought the boy pizza because he was hungry and they had no further contact outside school.
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they → say → school
But the prosecution alleges CCTV showed them together at other locations described by the teenager.
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CCTV → allege → teenager
The jury watched about 90 minutes of the boy's recorded police interview, in which he described his relationship with Rock and their alleged meetings.
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he → watch → Rock
He said: 'At first, it didn't come across as weird at school.
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it → say → school
It felt like a teacher was actually there for me.
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teacher → feel → me
But when I went around her house, and she showed me these things, it kind of freaked me out a bit.'
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it → go → me
The trial continues.
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trial → continue → ?
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