Football coach Travis Turner is just latest staffer at small Virginia high school charged with child sex crimes

The tight-knit Virginia high schoolwhere head football coach Travis Turner workedwas rocked by a similar sex scandal involving another coach two years ago.

Timothy Lee Meador, a teacher and coach at Union High School, pleaded guilty in 2023 to child solicitation and indecent liberties charges,ABC 7 reported.

Meador, then 28, was barred from the school, which teaches about 600 kids in Big Stone Gap, and spent just a year and three months in prison.

Travis Turner, 46, is wanted on child pornography and sex crimes charges. He has been missing since Thursday. Facebook/Leslie Turner

It is unclear what sport Meador coached, but he worked at Union High at the same time that Turner was head football coach there.

And the circumstances surrounding the latest allegations against a school stafferare shockingly similar.

Turner, 46, is wanted for five counts of soliciting a minor using a computer and with five counts of child pornography, Virginia State Police announced Tuesday.

Just days ago, amember of the Union High staffwas also placed on leave — but the school has not confirmed whether it was Turner.

Timothy Lee Meador was a coach at Turner's high school when he was charged with similar crimes in 2023. Wise County Sheriff's Office

But while Meador was caught, Turner remains in the wind.

He vanished Thursday as police were headed to his home in nearby Appalachia to question him over the allegations, and he hasn't been seen since.

A search has been underway across the mountainous countryside since, but so far no leads have turned up as to his whereabouts.

Turner hasn't been seen since Thursday, when he vanished as cops were on the way to question him. Leslie Caudill Turner / Facebook

Turner was not initially charged with any crimes and police insisted they were only trying to question him — but on Tuesday they declared he was a fugitive and would be charged if caught.

His family has denied the charges against him.

"None of that is true. He's a good dad and a good husband," his wife, Leslie, told the Daily Mail after police confirmed the charges.

"We want him home. That's it," she added. "We are all just hanging in there until we get news."

 

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