COLUMBUS — A former social worker who had sex with her 13-year-old client was sentenced to prison on Thursday.
Payton Shires pleaded guilty last month to four counts of unlawful sexual misconduct with a minor, one count of inducing panic with a firearm specification, and one count of intimidation to a victim or witness. On Thursday, she was sentenced to nearly five years behind bars, our news partners at WBNS reported.
>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Ohio social worker accused of having sex with 13-year-old client
As News Center 7 previously reported back in October, Shires was arrested and accused of having sex multiple times with the teen, who was a client assigned to her for counseling.
The teen’s mother called police in late September after finding text messages between her son and Shires, according to court records obtained by WBNS. In the messages, she reportedly asked the teen if he had “deleted the videos,” and if his mom had seen them or the messages.
Detectives found a video on the teen’s phone that showed him and Shires having sex and engaging in other sexual acts around the city of Columbus.
Shires allegedly admitted to having sex with the teen while on a call with the teen’s mother and detectives.
>> RELATED: Social worker pleads guilty to having sex with 13-year-old client in Ohio
Weeks after her arrest, while out on bond, Shires was arrested after showing up at the victim’s home with a gun.
During her sentencing on Thursday, Shires apologized for what happened.
“I just hope [the family] can find peace from this, that they can find peace and trust with their social workers in the future,” she said.
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