An Ohio teen who was missing for 263 days has been found alive and well at the home of a disgraced former teacher — and her family says he groomed the troubled girl.
The 17-year-old had run away from the Huckleberry House crisis shelter in Columbus on Dec. 2, 2025, with her family repeatedly pointing police to the home of Jobe Binkley, 48, a former Springfield City School District science teacher.
Chelsi Warner, the mother of the victim’s half-sister, told The Post that Binkley began grooming the teen when they met at the school two years ago, with the teen previously running away to his house last year.
“She’s had a troubled history with her mother and this groomer took advantage of a girl looking for a parental figure,” said Warner, who’s housed the victim in the past.
“It’s absolutely disgusting… and she’s so groomed and brainwashed by that man that she doesn’t see what he’s done to her,” she added.
Binkley was arrested and charged with one count of interference with custody, a first-degree misdemeanor. He was later released on bond.
He was pleaded not guilty, and the prosecutor lamented that Binkley couldn’t be charged with a stiffer crime without the teen’s cooperation.
Binkley, who had faced allegations of inappropriate behavior with students in the past, had denied police entry to his home twice before during the investigation into the teen’s disappearance.
A US Marshals’ special taskforce eventually entered the home on Aug. 21 and found the girl alive inside, ABC 6 reported.
Warner described the situation as frustrating given her family’s repeated insistence that the girl was in Binkley’s home over the past nine months, with the relative even providing the Springfield Police Department with photos of the victim inside the house.
“I’m very upset with this situation,” she said. “We had photos of her in the house holding guns, and we know about the allegations from other students against this man, but we were always told there’s not enough evidence yet.”
The Springfield Police Department could not be immediately reached for comment.
The teen had previously gone missing last November, and she was reportedly found a few days later staying with Binkley, according to posts from family and friends.
Binkley was first put on administrative leave in November 2024 and then again in January 2025, with the school canning him the following month for violating the district’s policy regarding the use of technology.
Warner accused the school of trying to dodge responsibility and sweep the issues with Binkley away despite students having video evidence of his inappropriate behavior.
Springfield City Schools, who had said previous allegations against Binkley were unsubstantiated, told ABC 6 it was never made aware of any allegations between the former science teacher and the runaway victim.
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