CHARLESTON (WV)
WJLA-TV (ABC) [Arlington VA]
July 28, 2026
By Shannon Stowers, Shelby Burrough
David Elliott Pritt resigned from his position in the West Virginia House of Delegates on Monday moments after appearing in federal court for the first time since his arrest.
Pritt waived his preliminary and detention hearings during a court appearance Monday. As a result, he will remain in federal custody of the U.S. Marshals Service during the case.
Moments later, the West Virginia House of Delegates announced that Pritt had submitted a letter of resignation. The resignation is effective immediately.
See original article for resignation letter.
“As many of us had requested as soon as these heinous accusations were brought to light, Elliott Pritt resigned from public service today,” West Virginia House Speaker Roger Hanshaw said in a statement. “Our thoughts remain with these families and these victims.”
Pritt, who was also teacher in Fayette County, was arrested and charged last week with enticement of a minor after a student’s parents reported that he was having an inappropriate relationship with their daughter.
An investigator with the Homeland Security Investigations unit found enough evidence, including that Pritt and the minor had sexual encounters in his classroom multiple times, to warrant the enticement charge and arrest. He has been held in Carter County Detention Center since.
The federal criminal complaint against Pritt alleges he began talking with the minor through Roblox and Snapchat before the relationship became physical. At one point, he allegedly told the girl “he loved her,” the complaint said.
Investigators said the physical encounters stopped by January 2026, but communication between the two continued on Snapchat through July 2026 where he allegedly requested the girl to send him sexually explicit photos.
During this time, the complaint alleges Pritt told the girl not to tell anyone or authorities would “open up hell in our lives.”
U.S. Attorney Moore Capito held a news conference following Pritt’s hearing Monday. When asked if more charges could be coming in the case, he said he could not comment on any forthcoming charges.
“You’ve seen the criminal complaint and reviewed it,” he said. “That’s where we are right now. Oftentimes when we have cases where we have a crime against a child, we announce that we want children to feel comfortable coming forward because I’d say it’s the rule not the exception that you’ll have other victims come forward as long as they feel comfortable doing so.”
Moore said the next step in the case will be the presentation of an indictment to a federal grand jury.
Dozens of lawmakers immediately began calling for Pritt’s resignation following his arrest. West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said he would call a special session on Aug. 10 for lawmakers to consider removing Pritt if he didn’t step down.
Morrisey weighed in on social media following the hearing and resignation.
“Good riddance to the terrible former WV Delegate Elliot[t] Pritt,” the governor posted. “He just resigned!”
Pritt has represented Fayette County in District 50 of the House of Delegates since 2022. He was initially elected as a Democrat and changed his affiliation in 2023.
Elsewhere, West Virginia State Superintendent of Schools Michele Blatt announced Thursday she had entered an order to suspend Pritt’s teaching certificate.