A Republican West Virginia lawmaker and high school teacher is facing a federal charge of enticing a minor after authorities say he contacted an eighth-grade student on the online gaming platform Roblox before moving their conversations to Snapchat, where the exchanges allegedly continued.
Elliot Pritt, 36, a Republican member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, was arrested Wednesday on a federal charge of enticement of a minor, according to court documents.
Investigators say Pritt first contacted the student while she was in the eighth grade through Roblox. The conversations later moved to Snapchat, where, according to the complaint, he sent the girl nude photos of himself, repeatedly requested sexually explicit photos from her, and sexually abused the girl on multiple occasions on school grounds.
According to the criminal complaint, “by the end of her eighth-grade year, Pritt told a minor female that he loved her.”
Federal investigators further allege that Pritt later initiated a physical relationship with the minor and repeatedly asked her to meet him in his classroom at Oak Hill High School, where they allegedly engaged in sexual activity between five and ten times.
According to the complaint, Pritt also warned the girl not to tell anyone about their relationship.
“It would be in the news. It would be awful. For both of us. I would lose my entire life,” he allegedly told her.
The investigation began after the family of a 15-year-old girl reported that she had been sexually abused by Pritt.
Pritt, who is married and has four children, is currently being held at the Carter County Detention Center and is scheduled to appear in federal court on July 27.
The allegations prompted swift condemnation from Republican leaders in West Virginia.
West Virginia Republican Party Chair Josh Holstein described the allegations as “shocking, sickening, and deeply disturbing.”
While emphasizing that every defendant is entitled to due process, Holstein said allegations involving the exploitation of children “strike at the core of the public trust.”
Pritt remains in custody as the federal case proceeds.
