A West Virginia Republican state lawmaker and teacher, David Elliott Pritt, 36, faces federal charges for allegedly using the online gaming platform Roblox to groom a teenage student, leading to a sexual relationship that included encounters at school. The investigation, initiated by the student’s family, revealed that Pritt, who represents Fayette County in the West Virginia House of Delegates, began communicating with the student when she was an eighth-grader in 2024-25, initially through Roblox before moving to Snapchat. Prosecutors allege Pritt sent the student explicit photos and solicited nude images from her, eventually leading to approximately five to ten sexual encounters in his classroom. The alleged relationship continued through July 2026, with Pritt reportedly warning the student against disclosure by threatening to expose their relationship to the news and cause him to lose his career. Federal investigators have established probable cause that Pritt used interstate communications to entice the minor into sexual activity and produce child sexual abuse material. Following the allegations, State House Speaker Roger Hanshaw removed Pritt from his House roles and is reviewing the process for expulsion, calling the accusations “shocking, disgusting and disappointing.”
Adapted from: U.S. News Today on Fox News
