An assistant principal was charged with 17 felony counts on Friday for molesting at least eight children at McKevett Elementary School in Santa Paula, officials say.
David Lane Braff Jr., 42, of Thousand Oaks, was arrested on Friday morning, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, at the conclusion of an investigation that police opened last month.
Prosecutors found that from 2015 through 2019, Braff worked as a school counselor at McKevett Elementary, where he allegedly molested children between the ages of 6 and 10 in a school office.
“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,” said D.A. Erik Nasarenko. “We intend to vigorously prosecute this case and encourage others to come forward who may have information about additional victims and crimes. Given the defendant’s history of re-occurring access to children, this investigation and prosecution remains ongoing.”
In addition to 17 felony counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14 years old, the D.A.’s Office says Braff is also accused of several special allegations and aggravating factors in the criminal complaint.
One of the accusations is that the crimes involved planning and sophistication and that the children entrusted to the defendant’s care were particularly vulnerable, according to officials.
The DA’s Office says that at the time of his arrest, Braff was employed as an assistant principal and school counselor at Ingenium Charter Middle School in Los Angeles.
“While Braff’s full employment history is not known at this time, it is believed that Braff also worked at other schools in southern California and may have been a volunteer for youth-oriented organizations,” the office wrote in a release.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office encourages any individuals who believe they were victimized by Braff, or who witnessed suspicious conduct committed by him, to contact investigator Greg Webb at 805-477-1627.
The office also noted that individuals are encouraged to contact Investigator Webb even if the conduct happened outside of Ventura County.
Braff is currently being held at Ventura County jail with bail set at $3 million.
The DA’s Office says Braff is scheduled for arraignment on Monday, Nov. 25, in Ventura County.