A 27-year-old former National Youth Advocate Program counselor in Columbus, Ohio, named Payton Shires entered a guilty plea to having intercourse with a 13-year-old male client. Shires acknowledged having engaged in many instances of inappropriate sexual behavior with a juvenile, intimidating a victim or witness, and creating fear.
The events took place in September 2023, at which time Payton Shires was offering the teenage boy mental health counseling services via NYAP. When the victim’s mother saw indecent text messages on her son’s phone, she reported them to the authorities.
More text conversations and a video showing Payton Shires and the boy having sex were found on the phone after a forensic analysis. After being taken into custody in October 2023, Payton Shires was first freed on a $500,000 bond. She later broke the terms of her release, though, by bringing a gun to the victim’s house and threatening to murder both herself and the boy’s mother.
Payton Shires entered a guilty plea to seven of the eight charges brought against her, which included one count of inciting panic, two counts of intimidating a victim or witness, and four counts of engaging in illicit sexual contact with a juvenile. The firearms discharge charge was withdrawn.
The mother of the victim had previously told Shires’s NYAP supervisor about the inappropriate relationship and asked for Shires to be taken out of her son’s custody. But because the organization didn’t follow through, the sexual abuse was able to go on.
After Payton Shires was arrested, NYAP fired her right away. According to the NGO, Franklin County Children Services was notified of the situation, and both the Columbus Police Department and them are working together to resolve it.
With a 4-year-old child, Payton Shires faces a maximum term of more than 20 years in prison. In addition, for 25 years following her release, she must register as a Tier II sex offender every six months.
The mother of the victim has launched a civil complaint against Shires and NYAP, claiming that the latter was careless in permitting her son to stay in Shires’ custody following her disclosure of the improper relationship.
On June 27, 2024, Payton Shires’ sentence hearing was set. After completing at least 18 months in jail, she might be eligible for release with good behavior.
