A blue state high school coach is wanted on child porn charges. What we know about the search in rural Virginia

An undefeated rural Virginia high school football team won a regional 
semifinal game last weekend in highly unusual circumstances: without 
their head coach, who police said had disappeared just two days before.

This week, authorities made the situation clearer just days before the 
next playoff game, saying Union High School’s Coach Travis Turner is 
wanted on five counts of child pornography possession and five counts of 
using a computer to solicit a minor.

Police have been scouring the mountainous area for Turner, leaving a 
community grappling with allegations against a man trusted to teach high 
schoolers and lead a successful football team, which now presses for a 
potential state championship in his absence.

Here’s what we know (and what we don’t) about the investigation and 
search for the small-town football coach.

A weeklong search
While investigators were heading to Turner’s home on November 20 in 
Appalachia, a western Virginia town of fewer than 2,000 people, they 
were told he wasn’t at home, Virginia State Police said, without 
relaying who told them that.

Police told local media over the weekend that Turner was missing, but 
did not initially explain why they had visited his house. Turner’s 
football team, knowing he had disappeared, played a regional semifinal 
game without him, winning 12-0 to keep their season alive.

On Tuesday, state police announced the charges he is sought for, saying 
they obtained warrants for each count a day earlier. They have not 
released further details about the allegations.

Brett Hall, the commonwealth’s attorney for Wise County, told CNN 
Wednesday over email his office “is aware of the ongoing investigation 
pertaining to charges against Union High School’s head football coach” 
but can’t comment further.

Turner, who was also listed as a physical education teacher at Union 
High School in a now-removed entry on the school’s online staff roster, 
was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt, sweatpants and glasses, state 
police said. The agency hasn’t shared any details about when or where he 
was last seen or who may have seen him last.

Union High School is located just outside the community of Big Stone Gap 
and a few miles southeast of Appalachia, the town where Turner lives.

In an email to CNN Tuesday, the Wise County Public Schools 
superintendent, Mike Goforth, said the district is “aware that law 
enforcement has filed charges against a staff member who has been on 
administrative leave.”

Turner is not permitted on school property or to have contact with 
students, Goforth said.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/26/us/travis-turner-virginia-manhunt