CHARLESTON (WV)
WV News [Clarksburg WV]
November 3, 2026
By Staff Reports
Former West Virginia delegate and Fayette County teacher David Elliott Pritt has indicated he intends to plead guilty to federal charges stemming from allegations that he sexually abused a former student, according to court filings.
Pritt, 36, notified the federal court Tuesday that he had signed a plea agreement and would enter a guilty plea, according to reporting by WV MetroNews. He also withdrew a previous request to be considered for release on bond so he could attend mental health treatment. A federal magistrate judge approved the withdrawal.
Federal prosecutors have asked the court to schedule a hearing for Pritt to formally enter his plea. The court has not yet accepted a guilty plea.
Pritt faces three federal felony charges: sexual exploitation of a child, coercion and enticement of a minor, and witness tampering. He was arrested July 22 following an investigation that began after the family of a 15-year-old girl reported allegations of sexual abuse to law enforcement.
According to a federal affidavit previously detailed in court filings, Pritt first began communicating with the girl in approximately 2024 or 2025, when she was an eighth-grade student. The communication allegedly began through the online gaming platform Roblox before moving to Snapchat.
Investigators allege Pritt sent the girl explicit photographs and solicited sexually explicit images and videos from her. The affidavit also describes multiple alleged sexual encounters inside Pritt’s classroom at Oak Hill High School between late 2025 and January 2026.
Federal investigators further alleged that Pritt continued communicating with the girl after the physical encounters ended, including messages warning her against telling anyone about their relationship because of the potential consequences for both of them.
Pritt’s arrest brought an end to his political career and teaching employment.
He resigned from the West Virginia House of Delegates on July 27, days after his arrest, following calls from legislative leaders across party lines for him to leave office. House Speaker Roger Hanshaw had removed Pritt from his leadership positions, including assistant majority leader, after the allegations became public.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey also had been consulting with legislative leaders about calling a special legislative session to consider expelling Pritt if he did not resign.
Pritt represented the 50th Delegate District in Fayette County. First elected in 2022 as a Democrat, he switched to the Republican Party in 2023 and later served as assistant majority leader and a member of the House Education Committee.
At the time of his arrest, Pritt was an English teacher at Oak Hill High School. The Fayette County Board of Education initially suspended his employment before terminating it. State Schools Superintendent Michele Blatt also suspended his teaching certification, saying it would be permanently revoked if Pritt were convicted or pleaded guilty to the charges.
Pritt previously pleaded not guilty to the federal charges during an August court appearance. His attorney had also explored the possibility of obtaining his release to participate in a residential treatment program through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The federal investigation involved allegations that Pritt used internet and cellular communications to persuade and entice a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, as well as efforts to prevent the girl from reporting the alleged abuse to authorities.