Former School Employee Convicted

A jury has convicted a former Washoe County School District (WCSD) employee of 19 felony charges related to the sexual abuse of a middle school student.

Caitlin Rock, 47, was found guilty on all counts on Wednesday, January 28, following approximately six hours of jury deliberations. She faced four counts of Sexual Assault of a Child Under 14, five counts of Statutory Sexual Seduction, and 10 counts of Luring a Child with the Use of Computer Technology to Engage in Sexual Conduct.

Rock engaged in a prolonged sexual relationship with the victim, beginning when he was 13 years old and continuing for more than a year and a half. Rock met the boy while working as an intervention specialist at Billinghurst Middle School in Reno, where her role involved supporting students with attendance issues.

She also worked at Swope Middle School.

The case came to light in 2024 when the then-14-year-old victim disclosed the abuse. Prosecutors said the victim’s mother grew concerned after noticing him sneaking out at night and used phone tracking to locate him alone at a local park.

He then confided in his mother and the police that he and Rock were sexually involved since he was 13.

Evidence presented at trial included hundreds of text messages, some sexually explicit, read aloud in court, victim statements, and DNA evidence that prosecutors argued proved repeated sexual acts. During testimony, details emerged of the victim’s mother tracking his location after nighttime disappearances, which allegedly involved meetings with Rock.

Rock, who was married with two children at the time the abuse began in 2022, pleaded not guilty to the original 20 charges, with one count adjusted in the conviction. Her defense contended there was reasonable doubt, particularly arguing that any sexual contact occurred when the victim was 14 rather than 13, potentially affecting the severity of the charges.

The jury rejected the argument.

Sentencing for Rock is on April 17, where she faces a mandatory sentence of 35 years to life for each sexual assault charge, plus one to 10 years for each statutory sexual seduction and luring count.