BIG STONE GAP, Va. (AP) — A Virginia high school football coach who disappeared days before his undefeated team’s playoff game is wanted on charges of possessing child sex 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 arrest warrants obtained Monday for five counts of each charge, adding that more charges are pending as the investigation continues. They did not share any details about what led to the charges.
Turner has been missing since last Thursday, when state police special agents from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation were sent to his home, not to arrest him, but to talk to him as part of an investigation. As officers traveled there, they were told he was gone, police said. The subsequent search of the area involved drones, dogs and rescue teams, police said.
The Associated Press left a message seeking comment Tuesday at a phone number associated with Turner. The court did not yet have a file that would list an attorney for him, and records related to his charges were not made available by the court or state police.
Turner is the football coach at Union High School in Wise County in southwestern Virginia. Union has strung together 12 straight wins to remain undefeated this season and advance to a regional final on Saturday.
Before coaching the Union team, Turner was a quarterback at Appalachia High School, which merged with Union High School in 2011. His father, Tom Turner, was also his high school football coach. Tom Turner was inducted into Virginia High School Hall of Fame in 2005.
Online records show that 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.
Defensive coordinator Jason Edwards stepped in as interim head coach in Union’s win over Graham last weekend Bristol Herald Courierwhich also reported that Bears players did not want to talk about the Turner situation after that.
WCYB reported that senior running back Keith Chandler said, “We talked in the huddle and said, ‘Listen guys, we’re going to have to deal with adversity here. We’re going to stick together here as brothers and we’ve got to come out with the win.'”
Asked about Turner, division Superintendent Mike Goforth told the AP in an emailed statement that Wise County Public Schools is aware of charges filed “against a staff member who has been on administrative leave” and that the person is not allowed to be on school property or have contact with students. He did not reveal when or why that furlough began, saying school officials would not comment further because it is an ongoing legal matter involving staff.
