A social worker from Ohio who is accused of engaging in sexual conduct with a 13-year-old boy allegedly later showed up to his home with a gun, claiming the family “ruin[ed] her life” and threatening to kill the teen’s mother and herself, multiple reports say.
Police on Oct. 6 charged 24-year-old Payton Shires with unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, according to a media release from the Columbus Division of Police. She later confessed to the behavior during a call with Columbus detectives and the teen’s mom, the New York Post reported.
“Ms. Shires is a licensed social worker involved in counseling youth, formerly employed by National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP),” the police media release reads. “The investigation revealed Ms. Shires engaged in sexual conduct, multiple times, with a juvenile client assigned to her for counseling.”
The 24-year-old showed up at the teen’s home with a gun Thursday, WBNS reported, citing records from Franklin County Municipal Court. His mother was not home but allegedly noticed Shires via her doorbell camera, prompting her to call the police.
An Ohio social worker who was accused of sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy in her care showed up with a gun at the child’s home – where she blamed the family for “ruining her life” and allegedly threatened to kill the teen’s mom and herself. pic.twitter.com/TbeQnChWQt
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) October 30, 2023
Officers found Shires sitting on the front porch with a gun pointed at her head and her finger held on the trigger, WBNS reported.
The teen’s mother told police Shires called her and said she wanted to kill herself and his mother, according to the outlet. The doorbell camera reportedly shut down, leading the teen’s mother to believe Shires “cut the cameras,” per the outlet.
The mother called police Sept. 27 when she allegedly found text messages between the social worker and the boy, according to court records reviewed by WBNS. Shires allegedly asked if the teen “deleted the videos” in the messages and whether his mother had “seen the videos or messages.”
Detectives found a video of the two engaging in sexual intercourse and other sexual acts in various locations around Columbus, the outlet reported, citing court records. All of the incidents allegedly occurred in September. (RELATED: Former New Jersey Tennis Instructor Convicted Of Sexual Abuse Against 12-Year-Old Student)
Shires is now facing charges of intimidation of a crime victim and intimidation of a crime witness, WBNS reported, along with the unlawful sexual conduct of a minor charge. She posted $500,000 bond Oct. 12, and her next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 6, according to the outlet.