Missing Chesapeake teen found safe, police searching for man who had been with her
CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — Fourteen-year-old Deborah "Abby" Jenkins, last seen with 41-year-old registered sex offender James Ronald Bell, has been found safe Tuesday, Chesapeake Police said. Police are still looking for Bell.
She had been missing for two days and counting as Chesapeake Police were continuing investigating this as a CODI Alert case — a case of a missing or endangered child — and not an Amber Alert of abduction. A process is underway now to cancel the CODI Alert.
Her legal guardian, Christine Burton, told 10 On Your Side's Andy Fox that she was told by the case worker that Jenkins will be in the custody of Portsmouth Social Services.
Jenkins disappeared from a Comfort Inn & Suites in Chesapeake around 1 a.m. Monday. Chesapeake Police were following leads in the search.
Bell is a registered sex offender from a 2011 case in which he was found guilty of two counts of aggravated sexual battery. He is the former boyfriend of Jenkins' legal guardian, Christine Burton, who 10 On Your Side has been told is cooperating with police to solve the case.
Jenkins' family had been putting up flyers around the city to call attention to her disappearance.
"We the family have decided to put up flyers that we can walk around the community with, and just give it to them because there are a lot of people who have not had access to the news," said Jenkins' biological sister, Veronica Ferris before Jenkins was found, "and they have no knowledge of what is going on, so the family decided to create a flyer to get it out there so we can find her."
Burton was at the hotel with Jenkins and Bell before her disappearance.
"As I got out of the shower, me and her got into an argument," Burton said. "I went out to smoke cigarettes, and when I got back, she was gone, and I haven't heard from her since. ... I don't think her life is in jeopardy."
"I don't want to be on (expletive) probation. I asked the judge to give me my time because I am not going to do this (expletive)(expletive)(expletive)."
According to court documents, those are the words Bell said to his probation officer during a home check in August 2024. Bell was the last person seen with Jenkins, who family calls "Abby."
Bell is on probation for a domestic-related incident that happened in 2018. Court documents show that, in June of that year, Bell went to a house in Portsmouth where his then-girlfriend and her relatives were.
While there, Bell "stood in the street threatening to burn the house down and kill everyone in the home." He was told to leave and did, but while walking away, "he yelled that he had a surprise for all of us and that he would be back with a gun to kill all of us."
An hour later, he did come back. According to the document, Bell came back and stood at the end of the street and shot a gun into the air. Bell was arrested that day and released on a summons.
A month later police responded again to a domestic incident with his then girlfriend. Bell and his girlfriend had been arguing in the driveway when her cousin told Bell that "his bond was going to get revoked because of the protective order she had obtained." He then got into his car and drove into another car. One of his girlfriend's relatives was pinned between the two cars. Bell then drove away before police arrived.
In August, two Portsmouth police officers saw Bell driving near Brunswick Rd. When Bell saw the officers he attempted to run away. He hit one of the officer's cars with his car before driving down Portsmouth Blvd towards Chesapeake. Bell led police on a chase through Chesapeake, Suffolk, and Isle of Wight County before it ended near Smithfield. One of the officers was injured when his car was hit by Bell.
Bell previously had problems being on probation following a 2011 guilty plea of two counts of aggravated sexual battery.
Bell took a plea agreement and served a year behind bars for the charges before being placed on probation. The court documents detailing what happened are too graphic to include, but the victim told police Bell told her "he was going to get her one way or the other."
Part of his plea required him to have no contact with the victim of his crime and to register as a sex offender. Bell also had to participate in the sex offender awareness program, known as SOAP.
He had to do the program twice because he did not pass the first time. Court documents from the treatment facility say, "Mr. Bell entered treatment and expressed frustration with having to attend group. He denied committing his offense and repeatedly stated plans to file an appeal."
Part of this program is group therapy with other sex offenders. According to court documents, "group members expressed feeling uncomfortable with Mr. Bell." The group members said he was a "distraction" and "complains all the time." Some of the members said they felt "uncomfortable sharing treatment information in group" because of Bell.
In June 2015, a report from his probation officer for a violation of probation reads "Bell has told this officer on several occasions that he wants to go back in front of his Judge and that he'd prefer to do his time."
One of the requirements for SOAP is daily journaling which Bell was supposed to share with the group. When he began the program a second time he told the counselor leading the group and his probation office, Bell claimed to have been told by a judge "that he "does not have to write his thoughts and feelings" nor anything related to his offense." Bell was then told that journaling was a requirement of the group.
Bell was discharged from the program a second time without passing the class.
