Updated
Updated · West Virginia MetroNews · Jul 23
West Virginia Delegate Elliott Pritt Charged in Minor Enticement Case, Removed From House Roles at 36
Updated
Updated · West Virginia MetroNews · Jul 23

West Virginia Delegate Elliott Pritt Charged in Minor Enticement Case, Removed From House Roles at 36

3 articles · Updated · West Virginia MetroNews · Jul 23

Summary

  • Federal prosecutors charged 36-year-old Delegate Elliott Pritt with enticement of a minor after alleging he groomed a 15-year-old girl online and appeared before a U.S. magistrate judge.
  • Investigators said Pritt began contacting the student during the 2024-25 school year on Roblox, moved the exchanges to Snapchat, then allegedly solicited explicit images and sexual conduct through this month.
  • The affidavit says physical encounters began in late 2025 in Pritt’s classroom at Oak Hill High School, while the girl’s family reported him to police on July 9 after he allegedly warned her not to tell anyone.
  • House Speaker Roger Hanshaw immediately stripped Pritt of legislative roles and urged him to resign, and both state Republican and Democratic leaders said he can no longer credibly serve.
  • The allegations carry added political weight because Pritt, elected in 2022 and reelected after switching parties in 2023, had publicly cast himself as a child-protection advocate.

Insights

Will this lawmaker's arrest finally hold platforms like Roblox legally accountable for failing to protect children?
How can schools prevent abuse when a teacher's grooming begins on platforms far outside the classroom?
Are new platform safety features truly effective, or is social gaming's core design inherently unsafe for kids?