West Virginia Delegate Faces Charges After Alleged Online Contact with Minor
They met through the online arcade, Roblox. According to a criminal complaint, that is where a sitting West Virginia lawmaker first made contact with a girl who was then in the eighth grade. The conversation then moved to Snapchat.
What prosecutors say followed has cost him his leadership post, drawn resignation calls from both parties, and landed the lawmaker in federal custody.
Details of the Allegations Against the West Virginia Delegate
Delegate David Elliott Pritt, a Republican representing Fayette County and a social studies teacher in Fayette County schools, was arrested on July 22 and charged with one count of felony enticement of a minor.
Metro News reported that the charge on the criminal complaint filed by a Department of Homeland Security special agent rests on a law that prohibits using the internet or any other channel of interstate commerce to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce a minor into illegal sexual activity.
Pritt, who also has served as an assistant majority leader in the House of Delegates, could face a minimum of 10 years in federal prison if convicted. The maximum sentence is life.
Pritt is being held pending a July 27 hearing. Prosecutors are asking that he remain in custody until then. House Speaker Roger Hanshaw removed Pritt from all official roles and called on him to resign. Republican and Democratic delegates alike echoed that call within hours.
The investigation began on July 9 when the family of a 15-year-old girl reported the abuse to law enforcement. According to the complaint, Pritt started communicating with the student through Roblox in 2024, when she was in the eighth grade, then moved those conversations to Snapchat, where investigators say the messages grew more personal and then explicit.
Prosecutors allege the contact later escalated to sexual activity at the school where Pritt taught.
The pattern described in the complaint is one every parent should understand.
Resources for Families Affected by Online Abuse in Charleston
If you suspect a child is being groomed or abused online, act now rather than later. You can report your concerns to local law enforcement or the West Virginia State Police right away.
You can also reach out to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children through its Cyber Tip line, which operates around the clock.
- Preserve all the evidence you can before anything else changes.
- Keep the phone, screenshots of all messages, and don’t delete any accounts, even when your instinct is to erase everything.
- Don’t confront the adult involved. Investigators and digital forensic examiners can recover far more from an untouched phone than a cleaned one.
How a West Virginia Sexual Abuse Attorney Provides Support
Once criminal charges are filed, the case belongs to prosecutors. Holding the accused accountable in criminal court is rarely the only avenue open to a family.
That is especially true when the abuse happened at a school, a church, or a youth organization. Those institutions can be held responsible when negligent hiring, inadequate training, or a failure to monitor create opportunities for predators.
This is where an experienced sexual abuse lawyer can help. The legal team at Hendrickson & Long, PLLC has helped many families seek justice from institutions that neglected their obligation to keep children safe. If your family is dealing with this type of situation, we want to hear from you.
You can schedule a free consultation with our attorneys to get your questions answered and explore your options.
You don’t have to go through this alone.
