COLUMBUS, Ohio — A 24-year-old licensed social worker accused of having sexual conduct with a teenage client was found competent to stand trial on Monday.
The Franklin County Common Pleas Court says the trial date for Payton Shires has not been set yet.
Shires, of Mount Sterling, was arrested in October 2023 on charges of having unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. She is accused of having sex multiple times with a 13-year-old client assigned to her for counseling.
Records say the victim's mother found messages between Shires and her son, asking him if his mother "had seen the videos or messages." The phone was turned over to the police.
Days later, records show detectives found a video on the teen's phone showing Shires and the teen having sex and engaging in other sex acts in various locations across Columbus. All the incidents happened in September 2023, according to court records.
Shires reportedly admitted to having sex with the teen on a three-way call between her, the teen's mother and detectives.
Weeks later, Shires was arrested again after showing up to the victim's home with a gun, according to court records. When police arrived at the home, Shires was sitting on the front porch with a gun to her head and her finger on the trigger. Records say that she was yelling that she wanted to kill herself and the victim's mother.
The teen's mother filed a lawsuit against Shires' employer, the National Youth Advocate Program, saying the organization was negligent in hiring Shires because she wasn't competent to perform her duties. The mother and her son are seeking at least $50,000 in damages.
