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A West Virginia teacher and Republican state lawmaker is accused of using the popular online gaming platform Roblox to groom a teenage student before allegedly engaging in sexual acts with her at school, according to a federal affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital.
David Elliott Pritt, 36, a Republican member of the West Virginia House of Delegates representing Fayette County, was arrested this week and federally charged with enticement of a minor.
Prosecutors allege Pritt used interstate communications to persuade, induce or entice the girl to engage in illegal sexual activity and produce child sexual abuse material.
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David Elliott Pritt, 36, a West Virginia lawmaker and former teacher, was arrested on federal charges alleging he used Roblox and social media to entice a 15-year-old student into a sexual relationship, according to court documents. Authorities say the alleged abuse began while the girl was his student. (Carter County Detention Center)
The investigation began after the girl’s family reported the allegations to law enforcement on July 9, according to the affidavit obtained and reviewed by Fox News Digital.
The girl told investigators Pritt first contacted her while she was an eighth-grade student during the 2024-25 school year, when he taught middle school in Fayette County. Their conversations allegedly began on Roblox before moving to the social media app Snapchat.
According to the affidavit, the conversations became increasingly personal, and Pritt eventually told the girl he loved her. During the summer of 2025, Pritt allegedly sent the girl a sexually explicit photograph of himself over Snapchat and requested nude photographs from her. The girl told investigators she complied.
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The alleged victim told investigators Pritt first contacted her while she was an eighth-grade student during the 2024-25 school year. (Jeffrey Basinger/Newsday RM via Getty Images))
After both moved to the local high school, the girl alleged Pritt repeatedly asked her to meet him in his classroom, where she said she performed sexual acts on him approximately five to 10 times. The final encounter allegedly occurred around December 2025 or January 2026.
According to the affidavit, Pritt continued requesting sexually explicit photographs through July 2026 and urged the girl not to tell anyone about their relationship. Investigators said he warned her police would seize their phones and ‘open up hell in our lives.’ He also allegedly said the allegations ‘would be in the news’ before adding, ‘I would lose my entire life.’
Federal investigators allege there is probable cause to believe Pritt knowingly used interstate communications between May 2025 and July 2026 to entice the minor to produce child sexual abuse material and engage in sexual activity in violation of West Virginia law.
Pritt has represented Fayette County’s District 50 in the West Virginia House of Delegates since 2022. He was elected as a Democrat before switching to the Republican Party in 2023.
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Pritt was elected to the West Virginia legislature as a Democrat before switching to the Republican Party in 2023. (Joseph Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group)
State House Speaker Roger Hanshaw called the allegations “shocking, disgusting and disappointing in every way” and removed Pritt from his House roles.
Hanshaw also urged Pritt to resign.
A spokesperson for Hanshaw told Fox News Digital that House leadership has taken the only administrative action currently available by removing Pritt from his House roles and is reviewing the constitutional process for expulsion, which would require the support of two-thirds of elected House members.
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“My heart aches for his family, and if any part of these serious allegations are true, the law should be applied in full force,” Hanshaw said in a statement.
Fayette County Schools did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
