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An assistant principal has been accused of molesting eight children at an elementary school in California.
David Lane Braff Jr. was charged with 17 felony counts of “lewd acts” on eight students between the ages of six and 10 at McKevett Elementary School in Santa Paula on Friday, Nov. 22, according to a news release.
Braff, 42, is accused of having carried out the assaults on the minors from 2015 to 2019, when he worked as a counselor at the school. He worked as an assistant principal at Ingenium Charter Middle School in Los Angeles at the time of his arrest.
Braff is “accused of a number of special allegations and aggravating factors in the criminal complaint,” per the release, “including that the crimes involved planning and sophistication and that the children entrusted to the defendant’s care were particularly vulnerable.
In the release, District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said, “The defendant is alleged to have molested multiple elementary school children over a number of years, shattering the trust placed in him by parents, educators, and the public.”
“We intend to vigorously prosecute this case and encourage others to come forward who may have information about additional victims and crimes,” he added. “Given the defendant’s history of re-occurring access to children, this investigation and prosecution remains ongoing.”
Braff is also believed to have worked at other schools in the southern California area and to have volunteered for youth-based organizations amid the time of his alleged abuse, per the release.
He currently remains in custody at Ventura County jail on bail of $3 million.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Brent Nibecker.
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In a statement, the Santa Paula Unified School District wrote that they are “aware of the recent arrest of a former employee regarding allegations of sexual abuse that occurred while the individual was employed with the District in 2018.”
“At the time of the allegations, the District took immediate action by launching an internal investigation and working in close collaboration with law enforcement,” the statement continued. “The District remains fully committed to transparency and accountability and is continuing to cooperate with the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office in its current proceedings.”
Ingenium Charter Middle School said in its own statement, per NBC LA: ” Upon learning of the allegations … Ingenium took immediate actions to ensure the safety of its students.”
“We take the safety and well-being of our students as our highest priority, and we are committed to ensuring a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community. We are working closely with the appropriate authorities and will continue to provide any assistance necessary to support the investigation. Our thoughts remain with those affected,” the statement added.
Braff will next appear at Ventura County Superior Court over his criminal charges on Monday, Nov. 25.
