Columbus, OH — A 24-year-old Ohio social worker has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a 13-year-old boy she was assigned to counsel, according to police and local reports.
Payton Shires, of Mount Sterling, reportedly admitted to the inappropriate relationship during a phone call with the boy’s mother and detectives from the Columbus Police Department.
Shires was previously employed by the National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP), an organization that works with families involved in the foster care system, as reported by the Columbus Dispatch. It is unclear whether she was assigned to counsel the boy through NYAP.
The investigation began on September 27, when the boy’s mother contacted police after discovering inappropriate text messages between her son and Shires, according to court documents. Police searched the boy’s phone and allegedly found footage of Shires and the boy engaging in sexual contact.
During an interview with investigators, the boy reportedly admitted to having sex with Shires on at least two occasions in September.
Shires was arrested on Friday after allegedly confessing to her actions during the monitored phone call with the boy’s mother. She has been charged with unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and is being held on a $500,000 bond, according to WSYX.
State records indicate that Shires obtained her social work license in June.
In a statement, the National Youth Advocate Program expressed its dismay over the incident: “The National Youth Advocate Program is saddened by the situation involving one of our former employees and a young person served by our organization.”
