BIG STONE GAP, Va. (AP) — A Virginia highschool soccer coach who disappeared days earlier than his undefeated crew’s playoff recreation is being sought on expenses of possessing baby sexual abuse materials and utilizing a pc to solicit a minor, Virginia State Police mentioned Tuesday.
Police mentioned Travis L. Turner, 46, of Appalachia, Virginia, is needed on warrants obtained Monday for 5 counts of every cost, including that further expenses are pending as an investigation continues. They didn’t share particulars about what prompted the fees.
Turner has been lacking since final Thursday, when state police particular brokers from a Bureau of Prison Investigation workplace had been despatched to his residence, to not arrest him however to speak to him as a part of an investigation. As officers traveled there they had been notified that he was gone, police mentioned. The next search close by has included drones, canine and rescue groups, police mentioned.
The Related Press left a message searching for remark Tuesday at a cellphone quantity related to Turner. The courtroom didn’t but have a case docket that may listing any legal professional for him, and information linked to his expenses weren’t made accessible by the courtroom or state police.
Turner is the soccer coach at Union Excessive Faculty in southwest Virginia’s Smart County. Union has strung collectively 12 straight wins to stay undefeated this season and advance to a regional remaining this Saturday.
Earlier than teaching Union’s crew, Turner was a quarterback at Appalachia Excessive Faculty, which merged into Union Excessive Faculty in 2011. His father, Tom Turner, was additionally his highschool soccer coach. Tom Turner was inducted into the Virginia Excessive Faculty Hall of Fame in 2005.
On-line information point out Travis Turner was in Virginia Tech’s 1998 recruiting class alongside future NFL quarterback Michael Vick, and in addition went on to play soccer at College of Virginia Smart in 1999.
Defensive coordinator Jason Edwards stepped in as interim head coach in Union’s victory over Graham final weekend, in line with the Bristol Herald Courier, which additionally reported that Bears gamers didn’t need to speak afterward concerning the state of affairs involving Turner.
WCYB reported that senior operating again Keith Chandler mentioned, “We talked within the huddle, and we mentioned: ‘Hear boys, we’re going to should deal with adversity right here. We stick collectively as brothers right here, and we must always come out with the victory.’”
Requested about Turner, Division Superintendent Mike Goforth informed the AP in an emailed assertion that Smart County Public Colleges is conscious of expenses filed “towards a workers member who has been on administrative go away” and that the particular person isn’t allowed to be on college property or have contact with college students. He didn’t disclose when or why that go away started, and mentioned college officers wouldn’t remark additional as a result of it’s an ongoing authorized matter involving personnel.
