The Virginia schoolgirl who was allegedly abused by high school football coach Travis Turner spoke publicly for the first time since his disappearance into the Appalachian woods last year, describing how she initially blamed herself for the scandal in an emotional statement.
“I did not feel like a victim,” the girl said in a statement read on her behalf at Monday’s Wise County School Board meeting, according to the TimesNews.
“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,” the statement continued.
Turner has been missing since November.
The statement was read aloud by Wise County resident Stephen Murray, who said he was speaking on the girl’s behalf. Murray also cited three other county school teachers who have been charged with sexual misconduct in recent years.
“These are just the cases that have been reported and charged,” Murray said, joining a chorus of angry residents who criticized the board. “When there is this much abuse, it’s not just a few bad apples. It is a culture. The fish rots from the head down.”
Monday’s meeting marked the Wise County School Board’s first opportunity for public comment since Turner vanished in November, as police were en route to question him over allegations involving child pornography and exploitation.
Turner — a 46-year-old father and longtime fixture in the Big Stone Gap community, where he coached boys football at Union High School — has not been seen since. Extensive searches of the area’s rugged terrain have so far failed to locate him.
The schoolgirl (not pictured) who was allegedly abused by Virginia football coach Travis Turner spoke publicly for the first time since he disappeared into the Appalachian woods last year.
Turner was last seen on Nov. 20, when he was spotted carrying a gun while walking into the woods behind his home. Police arrived at his house hours later to question him as part of a child sex crimes investigation. Days after his disappearance, Turner was formally charged with child pornography offenses and five counts of soliciting a minor.
Authorities have released few substantive updates on the case since.
A man identifying himself as the grandfather of Turner’s alleged victim also addressed the Wise County School Board, saying he was “proud” of his granddaughter for coming forward and believes her actions may have prevented further abuse.
“I’m extremely proud of my granddaughter. What she did probably saved some other children,” he said, according to WCYB. “I suppose there’s a reason for everything, as God says in due time.”
