Police have released interrogation footage of Ohio social worker Payton Shires, who was later jailed for sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy she was counseling. Weeks after her arrest, she turned up at the boy’s home with a gun.
Police interrogation footage has been released showing the moment an Ohio social worker was questioned after being accused of sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy she had been counseling.
Payton Shires, who worked as a counselor for the National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP), was arrested in Columbus in October 2023. She was 24 at the time, married and had a child of her own.
In 2024, she pleaded guilty to four counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, two counts of intimidation and one count of inducing panic. She was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison, according to FOX 28.
The boy’s mom found suspicious messages on his phone
Shires met the boy through her work at NYAP. In late September 2023, his mother found text messages from Shires on his phone that made her believe something inappropriate was happening, which she reported to the Columbus police.
According to court records, a forensic search of the boy’s phone turned up more messages, as well as video evidence of the abuse. As part of the investigation, the mother also agreed to a recorded phone call with Shires, monitored by detectives. During that call, Shires admitted what she had done. She was arrested on October 6, 2023.
What the footage shows
In the interrogation video, Shires sits across from investigators as they ask about her background. She confirms she has a bachelor’s degree in social work from Ohio State University and was a licensed social worker.
She then asks for a lawyer, and wants to know what she is being charged with. Officers tell her she faces a felony charge of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, but say they can’t discuss the details without her attorney.
At one point, with her arms crossed, she nods as officers warn her not to contact the boy or his family, explaining that doing so could lead to more charges. Shires was then released on a $50,000 bond. But on October 27, she was arrested again after turning up at the family’s home with a gun.
According to The Columbus Dispatch, she confronted the boy’s mother and accused her of ruining her life, allegedly threatening to kill them both, which led to further charges of intimidating a witness and inducing panic.
The mother’s message in court
At her sentencing, Shires apologized to the boy and his family. She also spoke about his mother, saying: “She saved my life.” She added that she felt horrible and “was not thinking rationally.”
In a statement read out in court, the mother described the “devastating impact” on her son and the family and how Shires was supposed to help him, but instead “he was manipulated, groomed and sexually abused” by her.
Judge Mark Serrott said he believed Shires was genuinely remorseful, but was disappointed that she had suggested during a pre-sentence interview that the boy tried to pressure her. “He was a child,” the judge said. He added: “You’re the adult. You’re trained professionally to avoid situations like this.”
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