A 24-year-old social worker in Ohio, Payton Shires, has been charged with having sexual relations with a 13-year-old boy that she was assigned to counsel. She now faces additional charges for allegedly attempting to intimidate the boy’s family. Shires appeared before a judge last week and became emotional as the charges were read to her.
According to court records, a warrant was issued for Shires’ arrest on October 26. She was arraigned in court on October 28 on charges of intimidating a witness by force or threat. During the hearing, prosecutors revealed that Shires had shown up at the boy’s home with a gun. She threatened to kill herself and blamed the family for “ruining her life.”
Shires was previously employed by the National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP), which provides counseling, social work, and advocacy for families involved in the foster care system. It is unclear when she stopped working for the organization.
The boy’s mother contacted the police on September 27 after discovering suspicious text messages on her son’s cellphone from Shires. When the police searched the phone, they found a video of the teen and Shires engaged in sexual conduct. The teen confessed to having multiple sexual encounters with Shires in September at various locations in Columbus.
Shires was charged with unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and held on a $500,000 bond. However, due to the new witness intimidation charges, her bond has been revoked. She is expected to remain in custody until her next court appearance on November 6.
