The mother of a 13-year-old sexual abuse victim has issued a harsh message to the counsellor who admitted to raping her son, saying it has had a “devastating impact” on the boy’s life.
The unnamed mother said in a statement read in court Thursday that Payton Shires’ actions have caused her family to lose faith in the system that is designed to help them.
“Instead, he was manipulated, groomed and sexually abused by Ms. Shires,” the mother’s statement said. according to the Columbus Dispatch.
“I regret letting you into my house,” the mother added just before the former social worker was sentenced to more than four years in prison.
Shires, 24, pleaded guilty in May to four counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, one count of inducing panic with firearms and one count of intimidating a witness or victim.
Payton Shires, 24, was sentenced Thursday to more than four years in prison for sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy.
The boy’s mother said she began to suspect Shires of predatory behavior when she noticed some text messages between the licensed counselor and her son on his phone.
In one of those messages, Shires asked the boy if he had “deleted the videos” and if anyone had ever seen them.
Those videos were not deleted, as the Columbus Police Department would later discover, and a subsequent forensic investigation of the teen’s cell phone revealed even more incriminating messages, and at least one video of Shires and the boy having sex.
Police later wrote in arrest documents that the boy later told them the alleged sexual relationship began in September.
Police then set up a three-way call between the mother, detectives and Shires, where the social worker reportedly admitted to the sexual relationship.
She was then arrested in October 2023, just four months after obtaining her social worker license.
State records show her counseling license was issued on June 12, 2023, and she was hired to work for the National Youth Advocate Program.
The program, which supports families in the foster care system or in need of advocacy, fired Shires following her arrest, the Dispatch reports.
Her arrest came just four months after she obtained her social worker license.
Shires was arrested in October 2023, after she reportedly admitted to the sexual relationship in a phone call with the boy’s mother.
Shires was released after her arrest on $50,000 bail, but later showed up at the victim’s home with a gun, claiming that the boy’s mother “ruined his life” and had “taken everything” from him for reporting the abuse.
She also allegedly threatened to kill the boy’s mother and was later charged with witness tampering. When a judge read the new charges in October, she was seen sobbing.
But in court Thursday, Shires apologized for his behavior that day.
“I wasn’t thinking rationally at the time I showed up at my mom’s house,” he said.
‘He was suicidal. I never intended to harm anyone but myself.
“I’m so thankful that he took the appropriate steps to call the police,” Shires continued. “He saved my life that day.”
“And also, I feel horrible for the mistakes I made,” he added.
His defense lawyer pointed out that he has a 4-year-old son and asked for leniency.
He then asked Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Mark Serrott for a lenient sentence, and his attorney, Gregg Slemmer, noted that he has a 4-year-old son whom he cannot see and has suffered serious mental health problems. for which he has never received the help he needs.
“It was always his intention to help this individual,” Slemmer said. “The lines became blurred.”
Judge Mark Serrott criticized Shires for violating his position of trust
But Judge Serrott reprimanded Shires for violating his position of trust.
“He was a child,” the judge said. “He was trying to get the help he needed.”
She went on to criticise Shires for suggesting the victim attempted to coerce or blackmail her into continuing the relationship.
“You’re the adult,” Serrott said. “You’re professionally trained to avoid situations like this.”
In the end, Serrott sentenced the former social worker to four years and nine months in state prison, with 253 days of pretrial detention.
She is eligible for release on good behavior – a form of probation with mandatory counseling – after 18 months behind bars.
If early release is denied, Shires will remain on supervised release for five years.
He will also be required to register as a sex offender every 180 days for 25 years after his release.
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