A social worker took advantage of a vulnerable boy in her care when she drove him to a Mangere motor lodge and had sex with him, the Crown says.
Alexia Joseph has denied a charge of sexual connection with a boy under 16 and has gone on trial at the Manukau District Court.
In his opening address today, Crown prosecutor Evan McCaughan said earlier on a day in September 2013, Ms Joseph had taken the 15-year-old boy to a movie and had touched him under his shirt.
He said later she took the boy and his mother to a restaurant where the two grown-ups began drinking.
Later Ms Joseph - who was 28 at the time - dropped the boy's mother home and took the boy to a local motor lodge.
Mr McCaughan said once inside the $110 room, the pair had consensual sex.
He said the woman's inhibitions were lowered by the alcohol and she took advantage of the vulnerable boy in her care.
Mr McCaughan said police also got hold of text messages from the boy and Ms Joseph. They show Ms Joseph referring to the boy as "Babes" and the boy calling Ms Joseph "my girl" and "darling".
Mr McCaughan said far from discouraging the pet names, Ms Joseph actually encouraged them and at one point promised him a big juicy kiss.
He said the boy told another support person and the matter was raised with Ms Joseph's boss.
Mr McCaughan said Ms Joseph asked the boy and his mother to lie to her employer about what had happened.
Ms Joseph's lawyer Paul Pati said no sex took place.
He encouraged the jurors to keep an open mind and reminded them that there are two sides to every story.
Tomorrow the jurors will listen to a recorded interview the boy gave to police.
