West Virginia state delegate David Elliott Pritt, 36, a Republican and assistant majority leader, was arrested Wednesday and charged with sex assault and coercion and enticement of a minor. Federal investigators allege that Pritt used social media platforms to entice and sexually engage with a teenage student at the school where he taught.
Pritt was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals following a two-week investigation by Homeland Security. The alleged victim's family contacted law enforcement on July 9. Investigators discovered alleged interactions between the 15-year-old student and Pritt, who also worked as a teacher.
According to the criminal complaint, Pritt, a married father of four, began communicating with the victim via the online game Roblox between late 2024 and early 2025. He later messaged the eighth-grade student on Snapchat. Investigators stated that the delegate's Snapchat conversations became increasingly personal with the teen as the school year progressed.
The complaint alleges that by the end of her eighth-grade year, Pritt had told the victim he loved her. During the summer of 2025, Pritt allegedly sent sexually explicit videos and photos of himself to the victim and asked the minor to reciprocate.
Investigators said Pritt began teaching at a West Virginia high school in the fall of 2025 and allegedly invited the victim to the school to perform sexual acts. The complaint states the victim allegedly engaged in sexual activity in his classroom on approximately five to 10 occasions until January. Pritt allegedly continued to communicate with the victim on Snapchat until July.
In June, Pritt allegedly asked the minor not to disclose their encounters, stating, "the state police show up and take your phone and mine and open up hell in our lives." He reportedly told the victim, "I would lose my entire life."
Pritt, elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 2022 and up for re-election this fall, is being held in jail. His attorney information was not immediately available.
West Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Roger Hanshaw released a statement calling Pritt's alleged actions "shocking, disgusting and disappointing." Hanshaw added that Pritt has been removed from all official roles connected with his service as a member of the legislature. Fayette County Schools, where Pritt taught, is cooperating with the investigation, stating that the safety and well-being of students and staff remain its highest priority.