BIG STONE GAP, Va. (AP) — A Virginia high school football coach who disappeared days before his undefeated team’s 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.
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 to talk to him as part of an investigation. Upon arriving, police were informed that he was gone. The search efforts have involved drones, dogs, and rescue teams in the surrounding area.
Before coaching Union’s team, Turner was a quarterback at Appalachia High School, which merged with Union High School in 2011. His father, Tom Turner, was also a football coach and was inducted into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame in 2005.
According to online records, Travis Turner was part of Virginia Tech’s 1998 recruiting class, which included NFL star quarterback Michael Vick, and also played football at the University of Virginia Wise in 1999.
Defensive coordinator Jason Edwards has stepped in as the interim head coach during Union’s playoff run. The community is reacting strongly to the charges, with players expressing their commitment to supporting each other in the face of adversity.
Wise County Public Schools has confirmed that Turner has been on administrative leave, is prohibited from contact with students, and further comments on the situation will not be made due to the ongoing investigation.
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 to talk to him as part of an investigation. Upon arriving, police were informed that he was gone. The search efforts have involved drones, dogs, and rescue teams in the surrounding area.
Before coaching Union’s team, Turner was a quarterback at Appalachia High School, which merged with Union High School in 2011. His father, Tom Turner, was also a football coach and was inducted into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame in 2005.
According to online records, Travis Turner was part of Virginia Tech’s 1998 recruiting class, which included NFL star quarterback Michael Vick, and also played football at the University of Virginia Wise in 1999.
Defensive coordinator Jason Edwards has stepped in as the interim head coach during Union’s playoff run. The community is reacting strongly to the charges, with players expressing their commitment to supporting each other in the face of adversity.
Wise County Public Schools has confirmed that Turner has been on administrative leave, is prohibited from contact with students, and further comments on the situation will not be made due to the ongoing investigation.
