A mental health counselor in Ohio may be imprisoned for several years after sexually abusing a 13-year-old child she was hired to assist on multiple occasions while working as a social worker.
Payton Harleigh Shires, 24, entered a guilty plea in May to four charges of engaging in illicit sexual behavior with a juvenile, one charge of using a firearm to incite panic, and one charge of intimidating a victim or witness.
Judge Mark Serrott of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas sentenced Shires on Thursday to a possible term of four years and nine months in state prison, with credit for 253 days of pretrial custody.
After 18 months, she may be eligible for judicial release for good behavior, which is a type of parole with required therapy.
The discredited social worker will spend five years on supervised release if early release is rejected. In addition, for 25 years following her release, she will need to register as a sexual offender every 180 days.
Shires was reportedly given credit by the judge for showing genuine regret, but she chastised the convicted woman for betraying her position of trust.
“He was a child,” Serrott said to her. “He was trying to get the help he needed.”
The boy’s mother read aloud a more pointed remark in court. She said that because of the “devastating impact” Shires’ actions had on them, the family had lost faith in a system designed to assist.
“Instead, he was manipulated, groomed and sexually abused by Ms. Shires,” according to the statement. “I regret I ever let you in my house.”
Four months after receiving her social work license, on October 20, 2023, Shires was arrested on her birthday. She was hired by the National Youth Advocate Program shortly after receiving her license.
She was reported to the Columbus authorities Department in late September 2023 for reportedly confessing to the abuse while authorities were listening in on a phone conversation she had with the boy’s mother.
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The boy’s mother claimed to have received texts from Shires to her son during that call, inquiring as to whether his mother “had seen the videos or messages” or if those films had been removed.
It would be discovered by the Columbus Police Department that those texts and recordings had not been erased. Following a forensic examination of the boy’s cellphone, multiple more incriminating messages and at least one video of the child and the adult having sex were discovered.
She later turned up at the victim’s house with a revolver while out on a $500,000 bond, saying the boy’s mother had “ruined her life” by reporting her to the police. Although there was no evidence of her making threats to kill the mother or herself, the experience did breach a number of her pretrial agreements.
On Thursday, the defendant apologized to the victim’s mother and expressed her gratitude for her help.
“I was not thinking rationally at the time that I showed up to the mother’s house,” she stated. “I was extremely suicidal. I never had intentions to harm anybody but myself. And, I’m just thankful that she took the right steps to call the police. She saved my life that day. And, also, I just feel horrible for the mistakes I made.”
“You’re the adult,” Serrott stated. “You’re trained professionally to avoid situations like this.”
