A social worker from Mount Sterling, Ohio, had quite a tumultuous birthday this October. On her 24th birthday, she ended up back in the Franklin County Jail.
What happened, you ask? Well, she's accused of going to the home of a 13-year-old she's alleged to have sexually abused and making some serious threats.
From what we hear, she even threatened to shoot the boy's mother and herself, all because she believed the parent had "ruined her life."
The social worker in question is Payton Harleigh Shires, and she only got her social worker license in Ohio in June 2023. She used to work for the National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP).
Things took a dark turn when she was reported to the Columbus Police Department in late September. The accusation was that she had engaged in unlawful sexual conduct, and she apparently admitted to it during a phone call with the boy's mother while the cops were listening in.
Initially, Shires was accused of sexually abusing the boy, even though she was supposed to be helping him as a mental health counselor.
This happened at least twice in September. The boy's mother reported her to the police on September 27. She claimed to have seen messages on her son's phone from Shires, asking if she had seen certain videos or messages, or if those videos had been deleted.
When the mother showed the cops her son's phone, they found videos of the illicit sexual contact and incriminating texts that became the core of the case.
Shires was first booked into the Franklin County Jail on October 6. She was given a bond of $500,085, which she managed to post.
As part of her bond conditions, she was not allowed to have any contact with the alleged victim or be around minors unsupervised.
Now, here's where it gets even more shocking. Shires decided to show up at the alleged victim's home on a Thursday evening and made threats of violence.
As a result, she's now facing two felony counts for intimidating a crime victim or witness through force or threats. Her bond got revoked, and she got a new mug shot taken.
When she called the boy's mother and claimed that the parent "ruined her life," she was seen on camera sitting on the porch with a gun, allegedly threatening to take her own life.
There's an arraignment scheduled for the latest charges on Saturday at 9 a.m. According to NYAP, the organization Shires used to work for, she's no longer employed there.
They expressed their sadness about the situation involving one of their former employees and a young person they serve. They also mentioned their collaboration with both Franklin County Children Services and the Columbus Police Department.
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