Twisted Case of Payton Shires - The Predator Therapist

July 31, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In the summer of 2023, a desperate mother sought out therapy for her troubled 13-year-old son. Within months, that therapist—23-year-old Payton Shires—was sexually abusing the boy, buying him gifts, vaping with him, and taking him to birthday parties behind his mother's back. When caught, Shires did not confess. She claimed the 13-year-old had manipulated and raped her. Then she showed up at the victim's home with a gun, threatening to kill his mother and herself.

Shires grew up in Mount Sterling, Ohio, and earned a bachelor's and master's in social work from Ohio State. She was hired by the National Youth Advocate Program as a school social worker, assigned to counsel vulnerable children. Her fiancé, Nicholas Rafter, had been arrested in 2016 for raping a 14-year-old girl; he pled guilty to child endangerment and served nine months. Shires posted "hashtag save the children" on social media one year before her own arrest.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:00) **The Setup: A Trusted Adult Becomes a Predator** - The episode introduces the case of Payton Shires, a 23-year-old therapist who sexually assaulted her 13-year-old patient, James, and later claimed she was the victim.
2 (02:45) **Payton's Backstory and a Troubling Pattern** - Shires' early life is largely unknown, but her relationship with her fiancé, Nicholas Rafter, reveals a disturbing parallel to her own crimes.
3 (05:39) **A New Career and a Vulnerable Patient** - Shires becomes a school social worker for the National Youth Advocate Program, quickly crossing boundaries with her 13-year-old patient, "James."
4 (11:35) **Red Flags and a Broken Trust** - The relationship escalates when Shires takes James to a birthday party behind his mother's back, leading the mother to file a complaint.
5 (15:54) **The Smoking Gun: A Recovered Video** - James's mother finds a damning text from Shires on her son's phone, leading to the recovery of a video showing the sexual abuse.
6 (17:36) **The Phone Confrontation** - Police orchestrate a phone call between James's mother and Shires, where Shires admits to the relationship without denying the abuse.
7 (20:06) **Arrest and Initial Release** - Shires is arrested on her birthday, but is released on bond with a strict no-contact order.

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Show Notes

In this week's investigation, Hot On The Case examines the case of Payton Shires. Once trusted as a social worker and childhood therapist, Shires was accused of betraying that trust in this twisted true crime case involving a 13 year old. In this episode we'll cover the background information on those involved, the crimes that took place, the shocking statements caught on camera during Payton's police interview, and how this case came to a close.