CHARLESTON, W.Va – Former Fayette County delegate and school teacher Elliott Pritt faces up to 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to attempted production of child pornography.
Pritt appeared before U.S. District Judge Irene C. Berger on Tuesday and entered his plea. He indicated in a letter last week he intended to plead guilty after reaching a plea agreement.
As part of the agreement, Pritt pleaded guilty to one count of attempted production of child pornography while the other two counts in his indictment were dropped. He faces at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, as well as a fine of up to $250,000 and potential restitution paid to the victim.
He will be sentenced on March 4.
Pritt was arrested on July 22 following an investigation and initially faced charges of child sexual exploitation, coercion of a minor and witness tampering. He was accused of enticing a 14-year-old girl to produce explicit images and engage in sexual conduct while he was a teacher in Fayette County.
He admitted in court on Tuesday to engaging in “inappropriate” conversations and exchanging nude images with the victim using the social media app Snapchat.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Herrald stated that had the case gone to trial, the United States would have relied on testimony from the victim that indicated Pritt sent her sexually explicit messages and asked her to take and send him nude photos of herself.
Herrald added that further evidence would have shown Pritt told the victim that he loved her and believed they were in a romantic relationship.
An affidavit previously filed in the case stated that the relationship began in 2024-25 when the girl was in eighth grade and Pritt began communicating with her and at least one other female student outside of school.
Herrald stated that testimony would have shown Pritt engaged in grooming behavior with the victim when she was in middle school.
Investigators also alleged that Pritt sent messages to the victim this past summer warning her not to tell anyone what occurred between them or “the state police show up and take your phone and mine and open up hell in our lives. And because of me it would very much not be a low key. It would be in the news. It would be awful. For both of us. And I would lose my entire life.”
A Samsung cell phone and Microsoft Surface laptop were seized from Pritt as part of the investigation. He will be required to forfeit those devices and register as a sex offender in addition to his sentence.
Pritt resigned from the House of Delagates and was fired by Fayette County Schools following his arrest.