Who Is Elliott Pritt? Republican Lawmaker Faces Calls to Resign After Allegedly Grooming 15-Year-Old

A West Virginia lawmaker who spent his days teaching teenagers now sits in a detention cell accused of preying on one of them for more than a year. Delegate David Elliott Pritt, the Republican assistant majority leader in the state's House of Delegates, was arrested on Wednesday, 22 July 2026, and charged with enticement of a minor.

Federal prosecutors allege the 36-year-old, who also worked as a teacher in Fayette County, began cultivating a relationship with a girl through the online game Roblox when she was in the eighth grade, before moving the conversation to Snapchat. He now faces a single federal count that could carry a lengthy prison sentence, and mounting pressure from his own party to quit office.

Who Is David Elliott Pritt?

Pritt has represented the 50th District, covering Fayette County, in the West Virginia House of Delegates since 2022. He was initially elected as a Democrat and changed his party affiliation to Republican in 2023.

By the time of his arrest, he had risen to assistant majority leader within the House Republican caucus. Outside the legislature, he worked as a high school teacher in Fayette County, having previously taught at a middle school in the same county. Court documents identify his school as Oak Hill High School.

Following his arrest, Speaker Roger Hanshaw stripped him of his legislative duties. Hanshaw announced that, effective immediately, Pritt had been removed from all official roles connected with his service in the House of Delegates, though he remains a sitting member pending resignation or expulsion proceedings.

The Criminal Complaint Against Pritt

According to a criminal complaint filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, the investigation began after the family of a 15-year-old girl reported that Pritt had sexually abused her. That report reached law enforcement on 9 July 2026, and investigators interviewed the girl the following day.

Pritt has not entered a plea. Under US law, he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The complaint states that during the 2024–2025 school year, Pritt began communicating with the girl and at least one other student outside of school, with contact starting on Roblox before shifting to Snapchat. The complaint further states that the exchanges gradually became more personal, with each sharing their personal lives and problems with each other, and that by the end of that school year Pritt had told the girl he loved her.

Prosecutors allege, according to the criminal complaint, that the relationship escalated the following summer, when Pritt sent the girl an inappropriate photograph of himself and began asking her to send images of herself in return. The complaint further states that the last physical encounter occurred around the end of 2025 or the start of 2026, though Snapchat messages allegedly continued into July 2026. According to the affidavit, Pritt warned the girl not to tell anyone because it would open up hell in their lives given his positions as an educator and a legislator.

Pritt appeared before federal Magistrate Judge Dwane Tinsley for an initial hearing on Wednesday afternoon. He is currently held pending release scheduled for Monday, 27 July. A spokesperson for the US Attorney's Office, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that prosecutors intend to invoke a rebuttable presumption that he remain in custody throughout the case, given the nature of the charge.

Political Fallout And Calls To Resign

The arrest triggered swift, bipartisan condemnation in Charleston. Speaker Hanshaw said what Elliott Pritt is accused of doing is shocking, disgusting and disappointing in every way, adding that his heart ached for the delegate's family while insisting the law be applied in full should the allegations prove true.

West Virginia Republican Party Chairman Josh Holstein went further, calling the allegations shocking, sickening, and deeply disturbing and arguing that charges involving the exploitation of a child strike at the core of public trust, urging Pritt to resign immediately. Fellow Republican delegate Tristan Leavitt said the complaint alleges vile conduct and that there was no place for such abuse, particularly from someone in a position of trust in a school and community.

Democrats echoed the demand. Delegate Kayla Young said no one who preys on and abuses a child has any business holding public office, while House Minority Leader Sean Hornbuckle called the news disturbing and vile and offered support for the alleged victim.

Not everyone in Charleston has called for his removal outright. A statement from the House of Delegates, issued through spokesperson Ann Ali, struck a more cautious tone, noting that Pritt remains a delegate unless or until he resigns or the House as a body takes action to remove him from the seat to which he was elected, while stressing a presumption of innocence.

For now, the assistant majority leader — accused of a crime that would, if proven, end his political career — remains technically a sitting member of the West Virginia legislature.

What Happens Next for the Accused Lawmaker?

Pritt has not entered a plea, and no trial date has yet been set. He faces a further federal court appearance on 27 July 2026, when detention arguments are expected to continue.

Fayette County Schools has not publicly confirmed Pritt's employment status, and the House of Delegates has not indicated whether it will move to expel him if he refuses to step down.

The allegations against Pritt strike at the heart of two institutions — the legislature and the classroom. His fate now rests with the federal court system, and with the West Virginia House of Delegates, which must decide whether to act before a verdict is reached.