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The one sentence resignation from David Elliott Pritt, which simply reads: “I resign from the West Virginia House of Delegates effective immediately” was released as Pritt was scheduled to appear in court Monday.
According to court records, Pritt waived his right to preliminary and detention hearings and will remain in federal custody as his case proceeds through the system.
The public school teacher and now-former delegate from Fayette County was arrested and charged last week with “enticing a minor” following an investigation that alleged he exchanged explicit images with a student before escalating to sexual abuse in his classroom.
House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, formally requested Gov. Patrick Morrisey call a special session of the House of Delegates to expel Pritt, a call the governor said over the weekend he was ready to answer if a resignation was not forthcoming.
In a statement accompanying the resignation, Hanshaw said, “Our thoughts remain with these families and these victims.”
The affidavit made by the investigating officer that accompanied Pritt’s initial charge made mention of at least one other student that Pritt contacted outside of school via the online game creation platform Roblox. However, the affidavit is based on a forensic interview of one student who also provided digital records to police.
If convicted, Pritt faces a sentence of not less than 10 years to life imprisonment.
U.S. Attorney Weighs In
After Pritt’s court appearance Moore Capito, United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, held a press conference where he took the opportunity to speak broadly on child abuse in West Virginia. Moore said his office deals with cases like this one all too often.
“I think it’s critical at times like this that we keep in mind that there are many children in our communities in the Southern District of West Virginia that are struggling, many children in our community that are afraid to come forward, many children that don’t want to deal with the impacts associated with being a victim of a crime like this,” Capito said.
“At a time like this, I believe this to be an inflection point when we should all applaud the bravery of these victims, the bravery that it takes to come forward and talk to a federal officer about a wrong that was committed to you,” he added. “And regardless of what happens in this case, what we know is that there is a child in West Virginia that has had irreparable harm committed upon them, and it’s something that they will live with for the rest of their lives.”
Capito urged parents and guardians to have age-appropriate conversations with children about grooming and sexual abuse to help prevent similar situations. He told parents and children alike that someone will always be willing to help, including his office.
“Education is the best way that we can interdict child grooming, but we have to have those conversations with our children,” Capito said. “They are difficult, they are uncomfortable, but they’re necessary. So today, really, my mission statement to all West Virginians is ‘Be on the lookout.’ And as I always say, ‘If you see something, say something.’”
Asked about the role of online platforms including Roblox and Snapchat in the perpetration of an increasing number of abuse cases, Capito was pragmatic in recognizing online is where children engage with each other in the modern age.
“Great hygiene for families to remember is to always know what your children are doing on their devices, whether it’s their iPad or their Fire pad or whatever it is, or their iPhone. Always be checking in with your children’s phone, especially if you have minor children,” he said. “I was giving a talk to a game changer event in Beckley. I think there were 300 high school and middle school kids, and I asked all of them to raise their hands on who all has Roblox on their phones, and 75 to 80% of them raised their hands, and I said, ‘Just make sure you know who you’re talking to. Talk to your parents about who you’re talking to, and report those conversations.’”
Capito said the next step in Pritt’s case will be to present the evidence to a grand jury for a formal indictment. Pritt is currently charged via a criminal complaint. Capito declined to comment on any additional charges his office may seek.