By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
A West Virginia lawmaker and public school teacher, who formerly served as the delegate from Fayette County, has resigned after being arrested and charged with “enticing a minor” according to reporting from West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Chris Schulz.
West Virginia Speaker of the House Roger Hanshaw (R-Clay County) made an announcement following last Wednesday’s arrest of David Elliott Pritt (R-Fayette County) noting that “effective immediately, Delegate Pritt has been removed from all official roles connected with his service as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates.”
Pritt’s one sentence resignation, released on Monday, read simply: “I resign from the West Virginia House of Delegates effective immediately.”
The move negates Hanshaw’s formal request to have Governor Patrick Morrisey call a special session of the House to expel Pritt. The governor had said over the weekend he was prepared to make the move if Pritt did not resign.
The former delegate and school teacher was accused of having sexual contact with a female student under the age of 18 in a complaint filed in the Southern District of West Virginia and charged with enticement of a minor, a violation of federal law under Title 18, Chapter 117, of the United State Code. Because Pritt is charged with violation of a federal law, and was arrested by the U.S. Marshal Service, he’s being held in Carter County under the detention center’s contract with the federal government.
Pritt had been a teacher at Oak Hill High School, and was accused of using online platforms like Snapchat and Roblox – a popular platform for video games – to initiate contact with the student when they were in eighth grade. According to the WV Public Broadcasting report, “The affidavit from special agent Terrance Taylor of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security state Pritt coerced the student into sending his sexually explicit photographs before beginning a physical relationship last year.”
Taylor’s investigation reportedly included information obtained from an interview with the student as well as information obtained by law enforcement showing the messages were from Pritt based on location data for the account.
Pritt had his first appearance before a judge last Wednesday, with a follow-up on Monday. Records show that Pritt waived his right to preliminary and detention hearings, and will remain in federal custody as his case proceeds. He currently remains incarcerated on a criminal complaint while evidence is presented to the grand jury for a formal indictment.
He faces from 10 years to life in prison if convicted of the alleged crimes.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
