UPDATE: House of Delegates Speaker Roger Hanshaw has issued a statement, calling on Delegate Elliott Pritt to resign and removing from all of his official roles in the house. Pritt was the Republican Assistant Majority Leader.
“What Elliott Pritt is accused of doing is shocking, disgusting and disappointing in every way. My heart aches for his family, and if any part of these serious allegations are true, the law should be applied in full force. No child should ever be exploited by anyone, especially by the adults placed in positions of trust and charged with preparing young people, many of whom our statistics tell us unfortunately have no other caring adult figures in their lives. Effective immediately, Delegate Pritt has been removed from all official roles connected with his service as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates.
“In America, we all enjoy the presumption of innocence, and Delegate Pritt is entitled to that same constitutional protection. Public officials and leaders are, and rightfully should be, held to a higher standard. When the people place their trust in elected officials by entrusting them with the right to hold public office, more than the minimum is expected. The West Virginia House of Delegates simply will not tolerate conduct that even approaches what is alleged in the public filings released by federal law enforcement today. Delegate Pritt deserves the right to defend himself freely and fully in a court of law, but the public and his colleagues deserve more. West Virginia is entitled to representation that is unclouded by serious allegations of criminal behavior involving the exploitation of vulnerable citizens.
“I urge Elliott Pritt, for the benefit of his family and the people of his District, to spare his students and his colleagues at every level the continued embarrassments and distractions and to resign from elected office as soon as he is able.”
UPDATE: Fayette County School Superintendent David Warvel said Fayette County schools is aware of allegations made against state delegate and Fayette County high school teacher David Elliott Pritt.
“Fayette County Schools is aware of the reported federal charges involving a Fayette County Schools employee. Because this is an active investigation, we are unable to provide additional comment at this time. Fayette County Schools will fully cooperate with law enforcement as the investigation progresses. The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priority,” Superintendent Warvel said.
OAK HILL, WV (WOAY) – West Virginia District 50 Delegate David Elliott Pritt has been arrested and charged in federal court with enticement of a minor.
Pritt was arrested Wednesday and has appeared in front of a federal magistrate. Pritt represents portions of Fayette County in the West Virginia House of Delegates and is assistant majority leader. He is also a Fayette County high school teacher.
According to a federal criminal complaint, the family of a fifteen year old girl told police that she had been sexually abused by Pritt. The complaint alleges that Pritt began communicating with her on the online video game Roblox during her eighth grade year, which was approximately 2024-2025. The conversation moved to the social media messaging platform Snapchat.
Pritt eventually told the alleged victim that he loved her, and the criminal complaint alleges that Pritt was sending inappropriate messages to her by the summer of 2025. He asked her to send pictures back, and the complaint alleges “While the pictures [the alleged victim] initially sent via Snapchat were innocuous, at PRITT’s request and direction they became increasingly more explicit.”
According to the complaint, the victim told police that Pritt initiated a physical relationship with her during late 2025. Pritt allegedly would ask her to meet him in his class room at Oak Hill High School, where they allegedly engaged in sexual activity including oral sex.
The victim told investigators that it happened five to ten times. The last sexual encounter allegedly happened between December 2025 or January 2026, but Pritt allegedly continued to request explicit pictures up to July 2026.
On June 20, 2026, Pritt allegedly told the victim not to tell anyone. If she told anyone, the complaint alleges, Pritt told her “the state police show up and take your phone and mine and open up hell in our lives. And because of me it would very much not be low key. It would be in the news. It would be awful. For both of us. And I would lose my entire life.”
