Ohio social worker charged for having sex with 13-year-old boy she counseled – Law Officer

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A social worker in Ohio was taken into custody and charged for having sex with a 13-year-old male teen she was assigned to counsel, according to law enforcement authorities.

Payton Shires, 24, of Mount Sterling, was identified as the perpetrator. She was arrested Friday and charged with unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, the Columbus Dispatch reported.

Police said Shires was employed by the National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP), a group which specializes in counseling and social work with families involved in the foster-care system.

The allegations were first reported to police Sept. 27 by the teen’s mother after she discovered revealing text messages between her son and Shires, according to court documents.

Police discovered video on the boy’s phone of the teen and Shires engaging in sexual conduct. Detectives spoke with the boy, who reportedly admitted to having sex with Shires on multiple occasions in September 2023 at various locations in Columbus, according to court records,

On Thursday, investigators conducted a controlled, recorded, three-way phone call between the teen’s mother and Shires. During that call, Shires admitted to the teen’s mom that she had engaged in sexual conduct with him, court records revealed. She was arrested on Friday, the New York Post reported.

Payton Shires was arrested Friday and is being held on $500,000 bond. (Image via New York Post)

Shires was charged with unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. She appeared Saturday morning in Franklin County Municipal Court, where Judge Mike McAllister set bond at $500,000, reported WSYX.

According to state records, Shires was licensed as a social worker in June.

NYAP released a brief statement following the arrest as they made reference to one of their “former employees” without clarifying whether she resigned or was terminated, according to the New York Post.

“The National Youth Advocate Program is saddened by the situation involving one of our former employees and a young person served by our organization.’’