Missing Virginia football coach now wanted on child sex crime charges

A Virginia high school football coach who vanished days before his undefeated team’s playoff game is now wanted on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material and using a computer to solicit a minor, state police said Tuesday.

Virginia State Police said warrants were obtained Monday for Travis L. Turner, 46, of Appalachia, on five counts of each offense, and investigators expect additional charges as the case continues. Authorities did not release details about what triggered the investigation.

Turner has been missing since last Thursday, when special agents from the agency’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation traveled to his home to speak with him as part of the inquiry. Police said the visit was intended as an interview, not an arrest, but agents learned en route that Turner had left the area. A search in the surrounding community has since involved dogs, drones and ground teams, though police have not indicated whether they believe Turner remains nearby.

A message left Tuesday at a phone number associated with Turner was not returned to the Associated Press, and the court did not yet have a docket listing an attorney for him.

Turner is the head football coach at Union High School in Wise County in southwest Virginia, where the Bears have compiled a 12-0 record and advanced to a regional final scheduled for Saturday. Defensive coordinator Jason Edwards served as interim head coach during Union’s win over Graham last weekend, local media reported, and players declined to discuss Turner’s absence after the game.

Football runs deep in Turner’s family. Before coaching at Union, he was a standout quarterback at Appalachia High School, which merged into Union High in 2011. His father, Tom Turner, coached him there and was inducted into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame in 2005.

In an emailed statement to the Associated Press, Wise County Public Schools Superintendent Mike Goforth confirmed the district is aware of criminal charges filed “against a staff member who has been on administrative leave.” He said the individual is barred from school grounds and from having any contact with students. Goforth did not specify when that leave began or whether it was connected to the ongoing investigation, citing personnel rules and the active legal case.

Police have asked anyone with knowledge of Turner’s whereabouts to contact authorities. The investigation remains ongoing.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow. 

This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.