A high school football coach in Virginia has become the subject of an intensive police manhunt after being charged with multiple counts of child pornography possession and computer solicitation of minors.
The Charges and Disappearance
Travis Turner, 46, the head football coach at Union High School in Big Stone Gap, faces five counts of possessing child pornography and five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor according to warrants obtained by Virginia State Police. Additional charges are currently pending against the coach.
The situation escalated when Turner vanished from his home in Appalachia on November 20, just as special agents from the Virginia Bureau of Criminal Investigation were travelling to his property as part of their investigation. Police have confirmed they were not intending to arrest him during that visit.
Authorities report that Turner was last seen entering woodland near his residence, wearing a grey sweatshirt, grey sweatpants and glasses. Police have deployed substantial resources including search and rescue teams, drone technology and K9 units in their efforts to locate the missing coach.
School Response and Family Reaction
Wise County Public Schools, which oversees Union High School, initially placed Turner on leave and prohibited him from school property or contact with students. However, the institution has since taken the further step of completely removing his profile from their official website.
The only Turner currently listed on the school's staff directory is his eldest son Bailey, who works as a physical education teacher at the same institution. Travis Turner had been employed at Union High since 2011 before his sudden disappearance.
Meanwhile, Turner's wife Leslie has publicly defended her husband, telling media that the allegations are untrue. The 46-year-old paralegal described her husband as "a good dad and a good husband" and expressed the family's desire for his safe return home.
Disturbing Pattern in Local Schools
This case represents the third instance in recent years where educational staff within the Wise County School System have faced serious allegations involving minors.
Timothy Lee Meador, a former teacher at Union High School, was jailed two years ago after pleading guilty to two counts of indecent liberties with a child. He served one year and three months in prison and remains listed on the Virginia State Police Sex Offender Registry.
More recently, Tyler Jay Tibbs, 28, who worked at Coeburn Middle School located just 25 minutes from Union High, was arrested in August on three counts of carnal knowledge and one count of taking indecent liberties with a child. He was later released on a $25,000 bond while investigations continue.
Despite the turmoil surrounding their coach's disappearance, the Union Bears football team has maintained their competitive performance, achieving an 11-0 record for the season and advancing in the playoffs under assistant coach Jay Edward.
