Vice principal accused of assaulting 8 students at California elementary school

David Lane Braff Jr. allegedly carried out the assaults from 2015 to 2019, while he worked as a counselor at the school.

Ventura County Prosecutor

David Lane Braff, Jr.

An assistant principal has been accused of molesting eight children at a California elementary school.

David Lane Braff Jr. was charged with 17 counts of “lewd acts” on eight students ages six to 10 at McKevett Elementary School in Santa Paula on Friday, Nov. 22, according to a news release.

Braff, 42, is accused of committing assault on minors from 2015 to 2019, while he worked as a counselor at the school. He was working as an assistant principal at Ingenium Charter Middle School in Los Angeles at the time of his arrest.

Braff is “charged with a number of special allegations and aggravating factors in the criminal complaint,” according to the release, “including that the crimes involved planning and sophistication and that the children in the defendant’s custody were particularly vulnerable.

Related: Elementary school teacher faces 55 charges for sexually abusing children: ‘competent in grooming’

In the release, District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said, “The defendant allegedly molested several elementary school children over several years, breaking the trust placed in him by parents, educators and the public. »

“We intend to vigorously pursue this case and encourage others to come forward who may have information about other victims and crimes,” he added. “Given the defendant’s history of recurring visits with children, this investigation and prosecution remains ongoing.”

Braff also allegedly worked at other Southern California schools and volunteered for youth organizations at the time of his alleged abuse, according to the release.

He is currently being held in the Ventura County Jail on $3 million bail.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant Prosecutor Brent Nibecker.

NBCLA/YouTube

McKevett Elementary School in Santa Paula, California.

Related: How a Teen’s Phone Allegedly Revealed a College Professor Was ‘Obsessed With Him,’ Leading to His Arrest

In a statement, the Santa Paula Unified School District wrote that it was “aware of the recent arrest of a former employee regarding allegations of sexual abuse that occurred while the individual was employed by the district in 2018.” .

“At the time of the allegations, the district took immediate action by launching an internal investigation and working closely with law enforcement,” the statement continued. “The District remains fully committed to transparency and accountability and continues to cooperate with the Ventura County Attorney’s Office in its ongoing proceedings.

Want to stay up to date with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Ingenium Charter Middle School said in its own statement, according to NBC LA: “Upon learning of the allegations… Ingenium took immediate action to ensure the safety of its students. »

“We take the safety and well-being of our students as our top priority and are committed to ensuring a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community. We are working closely with the relevant 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 in Ventura County Superior Court for his criminal charges on Monday, November 25.

Anyone with information related to the case is now asked to contact Ventura County Prosecutor’s Investigator Greg Webb at (805) 477-1627.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.