Steven Erickson

Introduction

Steven Erickson was a member of the Town Council of Pulaski, Virginia, when the FBI arrested him on July 22, 2026, on federal charges of receiving and distributing child sexual abuse material while he served on the council. Within days, his colleagues voted unanimously to suspend him from the body, effective immediately, and to demand his resignation. When Erickson — who remained in federal custody — neither resigned nor responded to the town by its deadlines, the council voted to remove him from his seat entirely. The episode unfolded in public view, through emergency meetings, the mayor’s statements, and a community reckoning with charges against one of its own elected officials.

Background Information

Public details about Erickson’s life and career are limited to his role in Pulaski town government. His full name, Steven Wayne Erickson, appears in WDBJ’s coverage, which published a booking photo of him identified as taken at the Roanoke City Jail. He served as a councilman for the town of Pulaski, and the charges against him allege conduct that occurred while he was serving on the council. According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia, as reported by WDBJ, Erickson used the messaging app Kik to solicit child sexual abuse material on multiple occasions in 2024 and 2025, and prosecutors said he also requested that some of the material be manipulated using artificial intelligence. Beyond his council seat, the available reporting does not describe his occupation or how long he had served.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Allegations. Steven Erickson has been charged with receiving, sending, and distributing child sexual abuse material. These are criminal charges, not established facts. He is entitled to the presumption of innocence, and the reporting available at the time of writing describes no conviction or adjudicated outcome in his case.

The FBI arrested Erickson on Thursday, July 22, 2026. The Pulaski Town Council responded by calling an emergency session, citing the severity of the charges and the need to protect the community. On Monday night, July 27, the council voted unanimously to suspend him, effective immediately, and passed a resolution urging him to resign. Mayor Shannon Collins released a written statement after the vote, acknowledging Erickson’s legal right to the presumption of innocence while defending the council’s swift action. “Although Mr. Erickson is entitled to the presumption of innocence in this criminal matter, the publicly released evidence required this council to act promptly to protect the community’s best interest,” Collins said. “The town council urges Mr. Erickson to resign immediately so that the town can move forward.”

Collins said the charges left the council no choice but to act. “The conduct Mr. Erickson is accused of is odious and has no place in our community and society,” she said. “If he does not resign, the town council will act to remove him in accordance with the town charter.” Under the timeline set by the council, Erickson had until September 1 to formally resign; if he did not step down, the council would vote to remove him from office.

Public Reaction and Consequences

When the council passed the suspension resolution, members of the audience applauded. Resident Melinda Musick, who attended the meeting, said she believed resignation was the only viable path forward for Erickson. “I’m very proud of our little town,” Musick said. “They’ve never made me more proud than they did tonight because they did what was right for the community. And they stepped up.” She added that it would not be a good idea for him to come back, now that everyone in town knew what he was accused of.

In the weeks that followed, Erickson went silent. He remained in federal custody and, according to The Roanoke Star, citing WSLS 10, was given until August 12 to notify the council of his intent to speak at the September 1 meeting. That deadline passed without any word from him. Collins confirmed the town sent Erickson a certified letter, which was delivered, but received no reply and no resignation. Meredith McGrady, who owns Gem City Market in Pulaski, told WSLS 10 she hoped Erickson would resign voluntarily, noting that federal authorities do not typically pursue a case without substantial reason. She also observed that his fellow council members and his family had been unaware of his private conduct.

Current Status

With no resignation and no response, the Pulaski Town Council voted to remove Erickson from his seat, effective immediately, at its Tuesday night meeting on September 1, 2026. Collins announced the vote, saying Erickson remained in federal custody and had not resigned. “We sent a letter to him that asked for his resignation, or he could send a letter also and ask for an appeal. We have not heard a word since,” Collins said. The town attorney was expected to file a petition in Pulaski County Circuit Court requesting a special election to permanently fill the seat, an election that would not take place until November 2027. In the meantime, the council had 45 days to appoint someone to an interim seat serving a one-year term. Asked whether the town would add vetting for interim candidates given the nature of the charges, Collins said, “You don’t do background checks for this kind of stuff. That would have never shown on a background check,” according to WDBJ.

Impact on Their Career/Life

The removal ended Erickson’s service on the Pulaski Town Council, the only public role for which the available reporting documents him. His seat is being filled through an interim appointment and, eventually, a special election, meaning there is no path back to the position he held. His federal case remained unresolved in the available reporting: the charges were still allegations, he remained in federal custody, and no trial or sentencing appeared in the cited coverage. Collins noted that Erickson’s family was enduring significant hardship through the episode, and the mayor described the council’s rapid suspension and removal as an act of transparency — a signal that elected officials would not remain passive in the face of such charges. “I hope I never have anything that we have to vote someone off… this town’s full of good people,” Collins said. “That really means something because that’s our whole goal on everything — to do what is best for our town,” she said. “We had to step up and had to do what we felt was correct.”