17 felony charges for CA elementary school principal who allegedly molested 8 children

A California elementary school assistant principal was charged with 17 felony counts for allegedly molesting eight children.

David Lane Braff Jr., 42, from Thousand Oaks, California, was arrested on Friday morning after an investigation which began last month, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office said in a press release on Friday.

Braff is reportedly being held in the Ventura County jail on a $3 million bond.

Authorities say the principal, who worked as a school counselor at McKevett Elementary from 2015 through 2019, molested the children, aged 6-10 at the time. 

“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,” District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said, according to the release. “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. 

“At the time of his arrest, Braff was employed as an assistant principal and school counselor at Ingenium Charter Middle School in Los Angeles,” the press release continued. “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.” 

In addition to the 17 felony counts of “lewd acts upon a child under 14-years-old,” Braff is facing “several special allegations and aggravating factors in the criminal complaint, including that the crime involved planning and sophistication,” according to the release. The criminal complaint also alleges “the children entrusted to the defendant’s care were particularly vulnerable.” 

His arraignment, originally scheduled for Monday, was continued until Dec. 20, local KVTA reports. 

The Santa Paula Unified School District (SPUSD) issued a statement Friday, after Braff’s arrest was made public, acknowledging he once worked for the district and vowing cooperation with the investigation.