Former Ohio teacher charged after missing teen found at his home 263 days later: reports
Former Ohio Teacher Charged After Missing Teen Found at His Home
Springfield, Ohio—Police and U.S. Marshals officials announced that former Springfield City Schools science teacher Jobe Binkley, 48, has been charged with interference with custody after investigators allege he knowingly allowed a missing 16‑year‑old girl to stay in his home while aware that she had been reported missing. The charge is a first‑degree misdemeanor that could carry up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
The girl, who has not been identified publicly, was reported missing on December 2, 2025 after running away from a youth shelter in Columbus. She was found alive on August 21, 2026 at Binkley’s Springfield residence, having been there for 263 days.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by the news agency, Binkley “did knowingly allow the child victim to stay in his home while having knowledge of the victim being an active missing juvenile.” The complaint also says that, on the day of the discovery, an officer from the U.S. Marshals Office entered Binkley’s house after investigators had identified it as the last known location of the teen. Binkley told the officer that the girl was inside and called her to step outside. She complied, and the officers secured her.
The affidavit also notes that Marshals and Springfield Police had visited Binkley’s home twice before the August 21 search, each time finding no one inside. During those earlier visits, Binkley allegedly declined to let officers enter and insisted the missing child was not in the house, even though he was aware that the girl was an active missing person.
Binkley’s employment history with Springfield City Schools has been a matter of public record. The district placed him on administrative leave in November 2024, again in January 2025, and fired him the following month after the investigation into the teen’s disappearance. The school district has not yet released a statement about the charges.
The mother of the victim’s half‑sister, Chelsi Warner, told the New York Post that Binkley had begun a grooming relationship with the girl after they met at school. “She’s had a troubled history with her mother and this groomer took advantage of a girl looking for a parental figure,” Warner said.
Binkley entered a not‑guilty plea to the interference with custody charge. A pre‑trial hearing is scheduled for September 30, 2026. Police and school officials were unavailable to comment at the time of this report.
If convicted, Binkley would face up to six months in county jail and a fine of $1,000. He could also be subject to additional civil liabilities related to the circumstances of the missing girl’s confinement. The case is currently pending in the local district court.
