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Where is Travis Turner? Virginia ex-football coach remains missing amid nationwide manhunt
Former Union High School football coach Travis Turner is still missing and wanted for 10 felony warrants related to sexual exploitation of a minor.
Former Union High School football coach Travis Turner remains missing, with investigators continuing a nationwide search for the 46-year-old who is now considered a fugitive.
Authorities say Turner disappeared on November 20, 2025, just as police were preparing to question him in a criminal investigation involving allegations of sexual exploitation of a minor.
According to the Virginia State Police (VSP), Turner is wanted on 10 felony warrants, including five counts of possession of child sexual abuse material and five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor
Read more: Travis Turner update: Appalachia, Virginia high school coach goes missing
No update on Travis Turner's whereabouts
Turner, who served as head football coach at Union High School in Wise County, Virginia, vanished shortly before investigators arrived to speak with him regarding allegations involving a 16-year-old student.
According to law enforcement officials and family statements cited in media reports, Turner was last seen walking into nearby woods behind his Appalachia, Virginia home while carrying a firearm. He has not been seen or heard from since.
VSP has used a variety of resources, such as search and rescue teams, drones, and K9S, to aid in the search since he vanished. The safe location of Turner is VSP's priority.
Captain J. Daniels, VSP Bureau of Criminal Investigation, said, “This case is worked on every day. It’s two-fold: we have the criminal investigation and the search.
He further added, "Every single lead has been vetted and followed up on, and all have been unfounded. We need the public to continue providing information. Someone knows something that will lead to his whereabouts.”
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What did Travis Turner do?
According to a family insider cited by the Sun, Turner, a 46-year-old married father of three, is alleged to have shared child porn and exploitation, sending unsettling X-rated messages over three months to a 16-year-old student.
On November 20, agents from the state police's Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Wytheville Field Office, were traveling to Turner's residence as part of an investigation when they learned he had left, according to the police.
According to the New York Post, the 16-year-old, who has never been publicly named, is in a "very depressive state" and has been harassed by other classmates since the incident.
Since then, her family has criticized the Wise County school district's handling of the whole situation, saying it neglected to appropriately notify authorities of the allegations.
Other than stating that Turner is wanted on five counts of possessing child pornography and five counts of using a computer to seduce a minor, Virginia State Police have not disclosed any further details about the charges against Turner.
