A high school football coach who disappeared days before his undefeated team’s Virginia regional final playoff game is being sought on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material and using a computer to solicit a minor, Virginia State Police said Tuesday.
As reported by The Associated Press, police said Travis L. Turner, 46, of Appalachia, Virginia, is wanted on warrants obtained Monday for five counts of each charge, adding that additional charges are pending as an investigation continues. They did not share details about what prompted the charges.
Turner has been missing since last Thursday, when state police special agents from a Bureau of Criminal Investigation office were sent to his home — not to arrest him, but to talk to him as part of an investigation, the AP reported. Officers en route were notified that Turner was gone. As of Tuesday afternoon, the search for Turner had included drones, dogs and rescue teams, police said.
Turner is the football coach at Union High School in southwest Virginia’s Wise County. Union has strung together 12 straight wins to remain undefeated this season and advance to a regional final Saturday.
Per the AP report, Turner was a quarterback at Appalachia High School, which merged into Union High School in 2011. His father, Tom Turner, was also his high school football coach. Tom Turner was inducted into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame in 2005.
Online records indicate Travis Turner was in Virginia Tech’s 1998 recruiting class alongside future NFL quarterback Michael Vick, and also went on to play football at the University of Virginia Wise in 1999, according to the AP.
Defensive coordinator Jason Edwards stepped in as interim head coach in Union’s 12-0 victory over Graham on Nov. 22.
NBC affiliate WCYB in Bristol, Va., reported that senior running back Keith Chandler said, “We talked in the huddle, and we said: ‘Listen boys, we’re going to have to handle adversity here. We stick together as brothers here, and we should come out with the victory.’”
Wise County Public Schools has been made aware of charges filed “against a staff member who has been on administrative leave” and that the person isn’t allowed to be on school property or have contact with students. In an emailed statement to the AP, division superintendent Mike Goforth didn’t disclose when or why that leave began, and said school officials wouldn’t comment further because it’s an ongoing legal matter involving personnel.
