A family member says a disgraced former teacher groomed a missing Ohio teen he allegedly harbored for months.
Chelsi Warner, the mother of the 17-year-old victim’s half-sister, told The Post that Jobe Binkley, 48, began targeting the girl two years ago when they met at Springfield City School District, where he worked as a science teacher. Warner, who had housed the teen in the past, said the girl had a troubled history with her mother and that Binkley exploited her vulnerability.
“She’s had a troubled history with her mother and this groomer took advantage of a girl looking for a parental figure,” Warner said.
The teen had run away from the Huckleberry House crisis shelter in Columbus on Dec. 2, setting off a 263-day disappearance that ended only when a US Marshals’ special taskforce entered Binkley’s home on Aug. 21 and found her alive inside, ABC 6 reported. Warner said her family had repeatedly told police the girl was at Binkley’s house and even provided the Springfield Police Department with photos of the victim inside the residence.
“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,” Warner said. She described the months-long ordeal as deeply frustrating given their persistent efforts to direct investigators to Binkley.
Binkley had denied police entry to his home twice before during the investigation into the teen’s disappearance, according to reports. He was arrested and charged with one count of interference with custody, a first-degree misdemeanor, and was later released on bond after pleading not guilty. The prosecutor involved lamented that a stiffer charge could not be filed without the teen’s cooperation.
Warner painted a grim picture of the girl’s mental state after months with Binkley. “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.
The case has also drawn scrutiny to Springfield City Schools’ handling of Binkley’s prior conduct. Binkley was first put on administrative leave in November 2024 and then again in January 2025, with the district terminating him the following month for violating its policy regarding the use of technology. Warner accused the school of attempting to dodge responsibility and sweep issues with Binkley away despite students having video evidence of his inappropriate behavior. The district had said previous allegations against Binkley were unsubstantiated, and told ABC 6 it was never made aware of any allegations between the former teacher and the runaway victim.
The teen had previously gone missing in November 2024 and was reportedly found a few days later staying with Binkley, according to posts from family and friends at the time.
The Springfield Police Department could not be immediately reached for comment on the family’s allegations that their tips were ignored during the investigation.