A 24-year-old social worker in Ohio has been accused of having sexual contact with a 13-year-old child she was recruited to help, according to local news outlets.
According to the Columbus Dispatch, Payton Shires was arrested without incident on her birthday, Friday, after reportedly confessing to the sexual relationship during a phone discussion between the boy’s mother, Shires, and police.
Shires formerly worked for the National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP), which provides services such as counselling and representation to families with children in foster care, according to the report. Shires’ precise date of departure from the organization is unknown.
According to court papers, the boy’s mother called police on September 27 after noticing strange text messages from Shires on her son’s smartphone.
