Ohio Social Worker Confesses to Having Sex With 13-Year-old Boy in Monitored Call With His Mother
Payton Shires is being held on $500,000 bond.
Oct. 9 2023, Published 3:00 p.m. ET
An Ohio social worker allegedly admitted to sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy she was counseling, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Payton Shires, 24, of Mount Sterling, reportedly confessed to having sex with the child during a phone call with the boy's mother.
Shires was ordered to stay away from the victim after being released on bond.
According to the Columbus Dispatch, Shires was arrested Friday and charged with unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. She appeared at the Franklin County Municipal Court on Saturday. At her arraignment, Judge Mike McAllister set her bond at $500,000.
Court records stated that the victim's mother contacted police on September 27 after she discovered disturbing text messages between her son and the social worker.
The mother reportedly believed "something inappropriate was happening between her son and Ms. Shires after seeing messages asking if he had deleted the videos and asking if his mom had seen the videos or messages."
The mother turned her son's phone over to authorities for forensic testing on the device. Authorities allegedly discovered illicit text messages and footage of sexual contact between Shires and the alleged victim.
After discovering the illicit exchanges with the social worker, investigators interviewed the boy. Police said the child admitted to having sex with Shires on at least two occasions in September at various locations in Columbus.
Following the interview, the Columbus Police Department set up a three-way phone call with the boy's mother and Shires on Thursday.
Court records showed Shires confessed to the inappropriate relationship on a recorded call with the victim's mother and detectives.
During the phone call, which took place a day before her arrest, the line was monitored by detectives with the Columbus Police Department.
Court records stated that while on the phone with the alleged victim's mother, Shires confessed to the inappropriate relationship and sleeping with her underaged son. Police arrested Shires without incident the following day, October 6, which also happened to be her 24th birthday.
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Shires was arrested on her 24th birthday, months after obtaining her license in June.
Police said that she was employed with the National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP), which offers specialized counseling and advocacy services for families involved in the foster care system or are in need of help in other ways. State records revealed Shires was licensed in June.
"The National Youth Advocate Program is saddened by the situation involving one of our former employees and a young person served by our organization," read a statement from the organization on Shires' arrest.
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