THE devastating accusations made against a fugitive high school football coach have been revealed by the family of his alleged victim in an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun.
The hunt for Travis Turner, 46, is now in its third month after the married father of three ran away from his home in Wise County, Virginia, on November 20, 2025, just before cops confirmed he was being investigated for child sex crimes.
Travis Turner, the Union High School football coach seen here with wife Leslie Caudill Turner, went missing on November 20 and has yet to be foundCredit: Facebook
The family at the center of a pedophile storm at Union High School has spoken exclusively to The U.S. Sun about their nightmare ordealCredit: Wise County High School
Turner was last seen heading into the Appalachian woods carrying a firearm, with cops labelling him a fugitive.
He is wanted for five counts of possession of child pornography and five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor.
The U.S. Sun has now spoken to members of the family at the center of the case and can exclusively disclose new information that raises even more troubling questions about how the school handled the allegations.
The charges center on text and picture exchanges between Turner and a 16-year-old girl at the school.
Turner is alleged to have exposed himself in the pictures during an exchange that is believed to have lasted around three months.
A family insider said school officials became aware of the purported texts after allegedly overhearing the victim discussing them in the library.
The girl’s family told The U.S. Sun they are furious with Union High School principal Jerred Chandler, claiming their daughter was interviewed about the texts, and the school failed to call them at any point to discuss the matter.
“It all happened very quickly,” said the source who spoke under the condition of anonymity to protect the victim.
“First came the accusation, then the police became involved. Then Turner went missing. It was overwhelming.”
“From my perspective, most of the anger was directed at him,” added the insider.
“He’s a married teacher with three children. He should have known better.
“I’m also very upset with how the school handled it and their failure to report it properly.”
The girl’s family claims that when they approached the school to demand to know why there had been no attempt to contact them, officials refused to answer.
They also claim there has been no official school investigation because Chandler suggested Turner had been tricked into communicating with an individual who was pretending to be someone else, and that there was therefore no case for him to answer.
Escalating tensions
Two days after the alleged meeting, Turner had vanished, the family claimed.
The U.S. Sun understands the alleged meeting took place on November 18, and Turner was said to have attended school the next morning.
The family sources claim he was told at some point on November 19 about the decision to keep him away from the premises and put him on leave while an investigation took place.
Reports at the time said Wise County school officials had placed Turner on indefinite leave following the troubling revelations.
He disappeared on November 20 as cops made moves to question him about the allegations.
The charges against him were announced by cops days later.
The U.S. Sun has contacted Virginia police and Wise County schools for comment, but both declined to expand on the new allegations.
“Wise County Public Schools addresses concerns in accordance with state law and division policy,” said division superintendent Mike Goforth via email. “Because this matter involves personnel issues, we are unable to comment further.”
A spokesman for the Virginia State Police said they were unable to comment on specific details because of the open and active nature of the investigation.
“There were football playoffs on at that time, so that’s all they care about,” a source close to the family told The U.S. Sun.
“Brushing this under the carpet is typical — but it’s a disgrace.”
Insiders say the alleged victim is now in a “very depressive state” and has been teased by other students.
It has also emerged that Turner was still being paid by the school up until the end of January — more than three months after his disappearance — per payroll information seen by The U.S. Sun.
He was terminated by the school board on February 9.
Family fury
Angry families are calling for the resignation of Wise County school officials and greater accountability moving forward, with parent Stephen Murray leading the charge.
Determined parent Stephen Murray is leading the battle to safeguard children in Wise County and beyondCredit: WJHL
“Enough is enough,” he said. “The administration’s reaction made it seem like this wasn’t a serious issue.
“People started saying, ‘Oh, it’s just another one of these.’ That’s when I became concerned — what do you mean ‘another one?’
“It suggests a pattern. And from what I’ve learned, there has been a culture of sweeping things under the rug for decades.”
Nearly three months later, Turner’s disappearance — and the accusations that preceded it — continue to cast a shadow over the community.
At a recent school board meeting, parents and residents voiced anger over what they described as prolonged silence from district leadership.
Several speakers criticized what they see as a failure to communicate openly, while another urged officials to adopt stronger child-protection safeguards.
Previous issues
Murray claims these issues have been present in the Wise County school system “for years.”
In 2023, Timothy Lee Meador, then a teacher and coach, was indicted on three felony charges.
Meador later pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent liberties with a child.
He served one year and three months in prison.
“This isn’t just about one incident,” Murray, whose teenage daughter attends Union High and is not related to the victim, told The U.S. Sun.
“It reflects a long-standing culture — what I would describe as generational cultural abuse — that has existed in this system for years.
“I initially spoke up because this situation shook our community. The only statement from the school board was that an administrator had been placed on paid leave. That was it.
“After I began speaking out, members of the community started reaching out to me privately. They told me this type of behavior has been going on for decades. Hearing that there have been years of victims and abusers within the athletic system of our school district — that’s something I can’t ignore.”
At a public meeting in January to discuss the situation, Murray claimed he was reading a statement from the victim.
“I am a victim of exploitation by a teacher in this county,” he read.
“I did not feel like a victim. I felt like I was the problem. I felt like I had embarrassed the school, damaged the reputation of the coaching staff and disrupted something I was supposed to protect instead of myself.”
Murray wants policy changes at the school in the wake of Turner’s alleged misconduct.
He says parents are calling for mandatory annual in-person training on sexual harassment and grooming for all staff, as well as stricter monitoring of communication between staff and students.
There is also a push for clear penalties for communication outside of school-issued devices, and for an anonymous online reporting portal for students, monitored by a third party.
“This should never happen in any school system. But when it’s your own child’s school, it hits differently,” he said.
“I also have a two-year-old son who may eventually enter this same school system. That’s why I’m pushing for change — not just for my teenage daughter, but for the kids who aren’t even in school yet.”
The U.S. Sun has reported extensively on Turner’s troubling disappearance, with a former FBI agent giving crucial insight into the methods used by authorities, stressing that those close to the disgraced coach would remain very much under the spotlight.
“I would say they’re probably keeping in very close contact with Turner’s immediate family,” Jennifer Doebler, who worked on the Crimes Against Children/Child Pornography Team in the FBI Newark field office in New Jersey, said.
Meanwhile, Patrick McCall, a 15-year private investigator specializing in criminal cases and fugitives, claimed Turner may have left the state
An attorney representing the Turner family failed to respond to The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.
Virginia State Police wants anyone with information on Turner’s whereabouts to contact Virginia State Police Division 4 at 276-484-9483 or email [email protected]. Tips can be made anonymously.
Travis Turner, 46, was hit with 10 child sex crimesCredit: Facebook
Turner was last seen armed and walking into the Appalachian woodsCredit: WCYB
