An assistant principal in Los Angeles is accused of molesting eight students under the age of 11 in a school office “over a number of years.”
David Lane Braff Jr. was arrested Friday and charged with 17 felonies related to the alleged abuse, which prosecutors said occurred at the Santa Paula elementary school where he worked as a counselor from 2015 to 2019.
Eight of the alleged victims are believed to be as young as 6 years old.
Braff, 42, of Thousand Oaks, was currently an assistant principal and school counselor at Ingenium Charter Middle School in Winnetka.
“The defendant is accused of molesting several elementary school children on multiple occasions
years, shattering the trust placed in him by parents, teachers and the public,” Ventura County District Attorney Eric Nasarenko said in a statement,
Nasarenko encouraged members of the public to come forward with any additional information about the case.
“Given the defendant’s history of re-access to children, this investigation and prosecution will continue,” he said.
The DA’s office said Braff’s full employment history is not yet known, but he is believed to have worked at other schools in Southern California and volunteered with youth groups.
The charges against Braff state that the manner in which the heinous crimes were carried out “demonstrated planning, sophistication or professionalism” – and that he took advantage of his position of trust among “vulnerable” victims.
The investigation into Braff began last month between the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office and the Santa Paula Police Department.
Prosecutors said Braff is being held in the Ventura County Jail with bail set at $3 million. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday.
(TagstoTranslate)US News(T)California(T)Child Abuse(T)District Attorney(T)Los Angeles(T)Molestation
