CHARLESTON, WV — Del. Elliott Pritt resigned Monday from the West Virginia House of Delegates in a brief letter to House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, ending his service days after his arrest. Pritt had already been removed from his committee assignments and leadership posts after federal authorities said he waived his rights during an initial detention hearing. The resignation came as the Republican from Mercer County faced a federal case tied to accusations involving a minor. A family also reported to law enforcement that a 13-year-old girl was sexually abused by Pritt.
Arrest And Charges
Pritt, who worked as a public school teacher, was arrested last week in Bluefield and charged federally with enticement of a minor. Court records and reporting cited in the complaint say the allegations stem from communications with a girl who was in eighth grade in 2023, later through Snapchat. The complaint says Pritt allegedly sent sexually explicit photos of himself and requested nude photos from her through the app. The report also said those exchanges took place during 2023 and 2024. He appeared Monday in federal court in Charleston wearing an orange prison jumpsuit.
House Response
House Speaker Roger Hanshaw said Pritt was effectively barred from the chamber almost immediately after the accusations became public. Hanshaw said the House acted quickly because the allegations were brought to light and were deeply serious. He also encouraged parents to have difficult conversations with their children about online safety and appropriate boundaries. In remarks included with the reporting, Hanshaw said law enforcement officers and prosecutors would hear from the child in this case and should be trusted to handle the matter. His comments came after the House had already stripped Pritt of all official roles tied to his membership.
Political Fallout
Pritt was first elected to the House in 2022 as a Democrat and switched to the Republican Party in 2023. He had been part of the Republican supermajority and often spoke publicly on education issues and anti-child abuse legislation. After his arrest, party leaders moved to disavow him. West Virginia Republican Party Executive Committee disavowed Pritt, and state GOP leaders said they no longer supported him. The move came before the special session calendar was set, and the party faced no longer having him in the district it had been expected to hold. He did not remain on the ballot for the November election in his district.
Next Court Steps
The case against Pritt will next go before a federal grand jury, according to court reporting cited in the article. He remains in U.S. Marshals Service custody while the case moves forward. Attorney Moore Capito said the matter is still in the early stages, and officials have not announced any trial date. The resignation closes Pritt’s time in the House, but it does not affect the federal criminal process now underway. For lawmakers in Charleston, the episode left a vacant seat and a public warning about the reach of online contact between adults and children.
