Plea agreement for former Oregon athletic trainer charged with engaging in sexual misconduct with teen

6/5/2014
BLADE STAFF
Melinda Rober, right, pleaded no contest to two counts of sexual battery today in the Lucas County Common Pleas courtroom of Judge Gary Cook.
Melinda Rober, right, pleaded no contest to two counts of sexual battery today in the Lucas County Common Pleas courtroom of Judge Gary Cook.

A former high school athletic trainer pleaded no contest today to charges that she engaged in sexual misconduct with a teenage boy at Clay High School.

Melinda Rober, 36, of 2552 106th St., was scheduled for trial on Monday, but instead entered the pleas to two counts of sexual battery before Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Gary Cook, who found her guilty.

Judge Cook told Rober she faces up to 10 years in prison when she is sentenced June 19.

Rober, who was employed at the Oregon high school through a contract with ProMedica, had been charged with three counts of sexual battery for incidents involving a 16-year-old boy in August, 2011 and incidents involving a 17-year-old boy in 2011 and 2012.

The charge involving the 16-year-old is to be dismissed at the time of sentencing as part of the plea agreement with Rober.

Separate from the criminal proceedings, four civil suits have been filed in Lucas County Common Pleas Court against Rober, school officials, and ProMedica by former Clay students who claim they were sexually abused by her.