Ohio Counselor Lands in Jail for Sleeping with 13-year-old Client; Also Pulled Gun to Kill Victim’s Mom after She Reported Her to Police
A social worker in central Ohio has been sentenced for engaging in sexual conduct with one of her underage clients. The sentence was handed down on Thursday.
Payton Shires, a 24-year-old, was potentially facing a sentence of up to 28 ½ years in prison. The prosecutor’s office has announced that she will be sentenced to four years and nine months in prison. Additionally, she will be required to regularly register as a Tier II sex offender for the next 25 years, renewing her registration every 180 days.
A social worker from Mount Sterling has pleaded guilty to seven out of eight charges, according to records from Franklin County Common Pleas Court. The charges include four counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, two counts of intimidating a witness, and one count of inducing panic. The count of discharging a firearm has been dismissed, however, the inducing panic charge still carries a one-year firearm specification.
She faced felony charges for allegedly sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy in Columbus. The boy was under her care as part of her role in providing mental health counseling services through the National Youth Advocate Program.
Columbus police initially became involved after receiving a call from the teen’s mother regarding text messages she discovered between him and Shires. According to a detective’s account in a criminal complaint document, the social worker inquired with the 13-year-old about the deletion of videos and whether his mother had viewed them or any corresponding messages.
A mother handed over her son’s phone to the Columbus Division of Police as evidence. Following the issuance of a warrant, investigators discovered a video depicting Shires involved in inappropriate activities with the teenager on the device.
According to the criminal complaint, the CPD later accompanied the mother during a phone call with Shires, during which she confessed to engaging in sexual acts with the 13-year-old. During the interrogation, she confessed to engaging in numerous sexual acts with the boy. The incidents occurred on September 16, September 22, and September 27, 2023, according to court records.
Shires faced additional charges of witness intimidation after allegedly violating the conditions of her $500,000 bond and visiting the victim’s residence, according to Columbus police. During the incident, she made serious threats towards both the victim’s mother and herself. According to reports, she was found with a firearm and discharged a round upon arriving at the residence on October 26th.
A civil lawsuit has been filed by the victim’s mother against Shires and the National Youth Advocate Program. She claims that the nonprofit failed to take action and remove her son from Shires’ care, despite being alerted about the inappropriate sexual relationship as per NBC4 News.
In October, Columbus police announced that Shires was no longer employed with the National Youth Advocate Program. However, they did not disclose whether she was terminated as a result of the investigation or prior to its commencement.
A lawsuit filed recently revealed disturbing allegations of sexual misconduct involving a teenager and an employee of NYAP. According to the complaint, the incidents took place between August and September 2023 in various locations across Franklin and other Ohio counties.
The lawsuit claims that these acts occurred while the employee was on duty, raising serious concerns about their conduct. The mother reported the incident to the nonprofit organization on September 22, a fortnight prior to Shires being apprehended by the police.
According to state records, Shires’ social work license is still active as of Thursday. No information was provided about a potential suspension or forfeiture.
Ohio Man Slept with 13-year-old Girl; Lands in Prison for Alleged Sexual Misconduct
