An Ohio social worker has been accused of sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy, showing up with a gun at his home, and threatening to kill his mother. Payton Shires, 24, was a new mother and was engaged for two years to a man with whom she has a 3-year-old son. The pair had recently bought a home together.
WBNS reported that Shires was charged on Oct. 6 with unlawful sexual conduct with a minor after allegedly admitting to her actions during a call with the teen’s mother and law enforcement.
According to the outlet, Shires showed up at the boy’s home with a gun on Oct 26. Though the mother wasn’t home at the time, she saw Shires on her porch through her doorbell camera.
According to officers who responded to the scene, Shires was found sitting with a gun pointed at her head, screaming that she was going to kill herself.
The boy’s mother told detectives that Shires called her and said she wanted to kill her and then herself because the boy and his mother had ruined her life.
Shires was then additionally charged with intimidation of a crime victim and intimidation of a crime witness. In social media posts, she had advocated for the death penalty for pedophiles.
According to the Columbus Dispatch, Shires had been employed by the National Youth Advocate Program, which works with families in the foster care system, however, the outlet noted it is not yet known if she was assigned to the teen through the program.
On Sept 27, the teen’s mom contacted police about her suspicions regarding Shires after discovering inappropriate text messages between her son and the social worker.
During the investigation, law enforcement found footage of Shires and the boy having sex and after interviewing the teen, he admitted having sex with her at least twice.
Shires was originally being held on a $500,000 bond. However, it has now been revoked and she will remain in jail until her next court appearance.
