The mother of a 13-year-old boy who was seduced and raped by an adult female social worker is filled with regret and wishes she had never let the predator into her home.
In a statement read in court Thursday, the unidentified mother told Peyton Shires of Ohio that the abuse had deeply hurt her son and made her lose faith in the state’s social services. Columbus Dispatch report.
“He was manipulated, groomed and sexually abused by Ms Shires and he regrets ever letting you into his home,” the statement said, according to local newspapers.
Shires, 24, was sentenced to more than four years in prison and will now be required to register as a sex offender.
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Payton Shires was sentenced June 27 to nearly five years in prison for raping a 13-year-old client while he was a youth counselor. (LinkedIn/USA TODAY Network)
She pleaded guilty in May to four counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and other charges.
The victim’s mother said she began noticing disturbing messages between Shires and her son late last year, including one in which a counselor asked her son if he had deleted a certain video.
Investigators later found incriminating text messages and at least one video showing the defendants engaging in sexual acts.
Police arranged a three-way call between Shires and his mother, during which the social worker confirmed the affair.
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Payton Shires, 24, was sentenced Thursday to nearly five years in prison for raping a 13-year-old boy. (X)
Shires worked with the National Youth Assistance Program, which pairs foster children with other children with counseling and support.
Shires was fired after the allegations came to light.
After his arrest, the counselor was released on $50,000 bail and showed up at the victim’s home brandishing a gun.
Shires accused the boy’s mother of ruining her life by reporting their relationship to authorities, and police say Shires threatened to kill the parent.
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Payton Shires apologized Thursday for raping a 13-year-old boy before being sentenced to nearly five years in prison. (Franklin County Sheriff’s Office)
“I was not thinking rationally when I went to my mother’s house,” she said in court Thursday, claiming she was suicidal at the time.
“I’m grateful she did the right thing by calling the police,” Shires said, adding that she believes the arrest prevented her from going down an even darker path.
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Shires asked Franklin County District Judge Mark Cerotto for clemency during his sentencing, telling the court he has a 4-year-old son and has suffered from untreated mental illness for many years.
But Mr Cerrott condemned Shires’ actions.
“He was a child,” the judge said before imposing the sentence, “and he was trying to get the help he needed.”
