A former Medina College teaching assistant allegedly showered a schoolboy with gifts, took him out for food and invited him into her home, where he was shown a drawer ‘filled with sex toys’, a jury has heard.
Melanie Rock, 34, of Arctic Road in Cowes, appeared in the dock at the Isle of Wight Crown Court today (Tuesday) as Day 1 of her criminal trial got underway.
Rock entered formal not guilty pleas to meeting a child following sexual grooming and abusing a position of trust – sexual activity with a boy back in October 2025, as previously reported by Island Echo.
The alleged offending took place between October and November 2023, when Rock was working as a learning support assistant at Medina College.
Following the swearing-in of the jury, Tim Devlin, prosecuting, outlined the Crown’s case against Rock.
The court heard how the 34-year-old began chatting to the boy on Instagram after her initial attempts to obtain his phone number were rebuffed.
The pair allegedly met outside of school on several occasions, including at KFC and Pizza Hut.
The boy also visited Rock’s home address on several occasions, where he was allegedly shown a drawer in her bedroom ‘filled with sex toys’ and watched the teaching assistant ‘parade around’ in a pair of hot pants.
As well as meeting up with the child, Rock is accused of giving him money and vapes, as well as buying him a pair of designer Trapstar tracksuits worth more than £350. On one occasion, she allegedly slipped £20 into his pocket, telling him “this is your Christmas money”.
A video of an interview conducted with the boy in the aftermath of the alleged offending was played to the jury.
During the interview, the boy said Rock had ‘taken him under her wing’ at school and admitted he was surprised when she messaged him because she was a teacher.
He added that the incident involving the sex toys had left him feeling that the whole situation was ‘weird’.
The alleged offending came to light after a fellow Medina College staff member spotted Rock and the boy at Pizza Hut in Newport. The relevant authorities, including Police, were notified in the days that followed.
When questioned by Police, Melanie Rock claimed she had only met the boy by chance and that he had visited her home on just a single occasion.
However, Mr Devlin told the court that CCTV footage showed Rock and the boy together at various locations on numerous days.
It is understood that Rock is no longer employed at Medina College.
The trial, which is expected to last around 4 days, continues.
