Former teacher charged after missing teen found in his home 263 days after she disappeared, reports say

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio. (Gray News) - A former Ohio teacher has been charged after a missing 16-year-old girl was allegedly found alive in his home 263 days after she disappeared.

According to a criminal complaint filed, Jobe Binkley, 48, was charged with one count of interference with custody, a first-degree misdemeanor.

In the filing, police alleged that he knowingly allowed a missing teenager to stay at his home despite knowing she had been reported missing.

The now-17-year-old vanished on Dec. 2, 2025, sparking a nearly nine-month search for the teenager. She was finally found on Aug. 21.

On that day in August, an officer went to Binkley’s home, where he allegedly acknowledged that the teen was inside and called for her to come out.

According to the filing, he called for the teen and she walked out of the home.

Authorities also said that officers had visited Binkley’s home twice previously while searching for the girl, but that he refused to let them inside and told them she was not there, despite having been informed that she was an active missing person.

During two previous visits, authorities had been refused entry to the address.

Binkley is a former teacher who worked with the Springfield City School District, WSYX reported.

It is currently unclear how Binkley and the teen knew one another or if he had ever been her teacher.

The district placed him on administrative leave in November 2024 after concerns were raised about his professional interactions with students.

Those claims were ruled to be unsubstantiated by the district, but Binkley was placed on administrative leave again in January 2025.

He was fired in February for violating policy related to the use of technology.

Binkley has pleaded not guilty to the charge against him and is currently released on bond.

A pretrial hearing for Binkley has been scheduled for later this month.