Missing high school football coach is wanted on child porn charges, police say

Big Stone Gap, Va. — A Virginia precocious schoolhouse shot manager who disappeared days earlier his undefeated team's playoff crippled is being sought connected charges of possessing kid pornography and utilizing a machine to solicit a minor, Virginia State Police said Tuesday.

Police said Travis L. Turner, 46, of Appalachia, Virginia, is wanted connected warrants obtained Monday for 5 counts of each charge, adding that further charges are pending arsenic an probe continues. They did not stock details astir what prompted the charges.

This operation of photos provided by the Virginia State Police shows Travis L. Turner, a southwest Virginia precocious schoolhouse shot manager who went missing and has been charged with possession of kid pornography. Virginia State Police via AP

Turner has been missing since past Thursday, erstwhile authorities constabulary peculiar agents from a Bureau of Criminal Investigation bureau were sent to his home, not to apprehension him but to speech to him arsenic portion of an investigation. As officers traveled determination they were notified that helium was gone, constabulary said. The consequent hunt adjacent has included drones, dogs and rescue teams, constabulary said.

Speaking connected behalf of the Turner family, lawyer Adrian Collins said successful a connection that, "We stay prayerful for his harmless instrumentality and for everyone affected by the circumstances surrounding his disappearance. We spot God to bring information and clarity successful His time. Any allegations should beryllium addressed done the due ineligible process—not done speculation oregon rumor. We inquire the nationalist and media to amusement compassion, accuracy, and respect for the family's privacy."

Wise County Public Schools said successful a connection that Turner "remains connected permission and is not permitted connected schoolhouse spot oregon to person interaction with students. The part volition proceed to cooperate with instrumentality enforcement arsenic this process moves forward."

Turner has winning shot grounds and pedigree  

Turner is the shot manager astatine Union High School successful southwest Virginia's Wise County. Union has strung unneurotic 12 consecutive wins to stay undefeated this play and beforehand to a determination last this Saturday.

Before coaching Union's team, Turner was a backmost astatine Appalachia High School, which merged into Union High School successful 2011. His father, Tom Turner, was besides his precocious schoolhouse shot coach. Tom Turner was inducted into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame successful 2005.

Online records bespeak Travis Turner was successful Virginia Tech's 1998 recruiting people alongside aboriginal NFL backmost Michael Vick, and besides went connected to play shot astatine University of Virginia Wise successful 1999.

Defensive coordinator Jason Edwards stepped successful arsenic interim caput manager successful Union's triumph implicit Graham past weekend, according to the Bristol Herald Courier, which besides reported that Bears players didn't privation to speech afterward astir the concern involving Turner.

Asked astir Turner, Division Superintendent Mike Goforth told the AP successful an emailed connection that Wise County Public Schools is alert of charges filed "against a unit subordinate who has been connected administrative leave" and that the idiosyncratic isn't allowed to beryllium connected schoolhouse spot oregon person interaction with students. He didn't disclose erstwhile oregon wherefore that permission began, and said schoolhouse officials wouldn't remark further due to the fact that it's an ongoing ineligible substance involving personnel.