Missing schoolgirl, 17, is found at home of disgraced science teacher, 48, after vanishing 263 days ago

NewsUS News A MISSING schoolgirl has been found living at the home of a disgraced science teacher 263 days after she vanished. The family of the troubled 17-year-old accused former teacher Jobe Binkley, 48, of grooming the teenager after they met at school two years ago. Jobe Binkley is a former Springfield City School District science teacher Credit: Clark County Jail The teenager’s family have accused Binkley of grooming the girl Credit: Freedom GMC After the schoolgirl ran away from a crisis shelter in Columbus, Ohio on December 2 last year, her family repeatedly told police to check Binkley’s home. Chelsi Warner, the mother of the victim’s half-sister, said Binkley had taken advantage of the teenager’s troubled relationship with her mother. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! She said they had given cops photos of the teenager holding guns that were taken inside Binkley’s home. “She’s had a troubled history with her mother and this groomer took advantage of a girl looking for a parental figure,” Warner told the New York Post. The house where the girl was found alive by police after more than 260 days missing Credit: WSYX ABC 6. The 17-year-old had run away from the Huckleberry House crisis shelter in Columbus Credit: WSYX ABC 6. She added: “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.” Warner claimed that the family were told there was not enough evidence to take action. “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.” Most read in The Sun The former Springfield City School District science teacher denied police entry to his home twice during the search for the missing teenager. A US Marshals’ special task force eventually entered the home on August 21 and found the schoolgirl alive inside, according to ABC 6. Binkley was arrested and charged with one count of interference with custody, a first- degreemisdemeanorr. He has since been released on bond. Binkley has pleaded not guilty to the charge. The prosecutor in the case lamented that Binkley couldn’t be charged with a harsher crime without the teenager’s cooperation. Binkley has been accused of having an inappropriate relationship with students in the past. Warner said the teenager had previously run away to Binkley’s house. In November last year she went missing, and was found days later staying with Binkley, according to posts shared by friends and family. Binkley was put on administrative leave in November 2014 and January 2015, with the school finally sacking him the next month for breach of technology policy. Comment now