Former Teacher Charged After Hiding Runaway Teen For Months

Jobe Binkley, a former science teacher in Springfield, Ohio, now faces criminal charges after authorities say he knowingly let a missing teenage girl stay at his house while knowing she had been reported gone. A complaint obtained by Fox News Digital lists one count of interference with custody against the 48-year-old. That first-degree misdemeanor carries a penalty of up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

The girl ran away from a youth shelter in Columbus on December 2, 2025. She remained missing for 263 days before being found at Binkley's residence, according to reports from WSYX and The New York Post. Both outlets confirmed that the teen was his former high school student.

A probable cause affidavit details how law enforcement located her. On August 21, an officer acting as a U.S. Marshal agent visited Binkley's home after investigators pinpointed it as her last known location. Inside, he told the officer the girl was there and called for her to come out. She stepped outside shortly after.

"He spoke with the resident owner, Jobe Binkley, who stated the juvenile was inside," the affidavit reads. "He called for the juvenile, and they exited the home." This interaction ended the standoff that had lasted far too long.

Before this resolution, things were much darker at his house. Officers visited the address twice earlier while searching for the missing girl. Each time, Binkley allegedly blocked their entry and insisted she was not there. The affidavit notes he knew better. "At those times he refused officers to enter his home and stated that the missing person was not inside," the document says. "Officers noted that Jobe was made aware the individual was in fact an active missing person."

His employment history reflects this pattern of avoidance. According to The New York Post, Binkley was placed on administrative leave from Springfield City Schools in November 2024 and again in January 2025. He lost his job shortly after that second suspension the following month.

Chelsi Warner, mother of the victim's half-sister, spoke to the New York Post about her family's pain. She said Binkley began grooming the teen 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," she explained. Her words highlight how vulnerability can be exploited by someone in a position of trust.

Binkley has pleaded not guilty to the charge so far. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for September 30, court records show. The Springfield Police Department and Springfield City Schools could not immediately comment on the case when contacted by Fox News Digital.