Former CA elementary school counselor faces 17 counts of 'lewd acts' on children under 14 years old, prosecutors say

SANTA PAULA, CA - In a disturbing case out of California, The Post Millennial reports that a former school counselor and assistant principal has been indicted on multiple counts of child molestation with eight elementary school children as victims. 

David Lane Braff, 42, is facing 17 counts of “lewd acts” on children under 14 years old. The abuse occurred between 2015 and 2019 while Braff was working as a counselor at McKevett Elementary School in Santa Paula, a town of just under 30,000 people located between Malibu and Santa Barbara. Raff also served as an assistant principal at Ingenium Charter Middle School in Los Angeles at the time. 

The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office issued a press release in which they identified Braff as being “accused of a number of special allegations and aggravating factors in the criminal complaint, including that the crimes involved planning and sophistication and that the children entrusted to the defendants’ care were particularly vulnerable." 

“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 District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. 

“We intend to vigorously prosecute this case and encourage others to come forward who may have information about additional victims and crimes,” Nasarenko continued. “Given the defendant’s history of re-occurring access to children, this investigation and prosecution remains ongoing.” 

During the period of the abuse, Braff was also believed to have volunteered with several youth-based organizations. Braff is being held at the Ventura County Jail on a $3 million bond. He is scheduled to appear in court Monday. 

People Magazine reported that the Santa Paula Unified School District issued a statement noting it was “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 read. “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.” 

In a separate statement, Ingenium Charter Middle School wrote the following, per NBC News-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 continued. 

This is just the latest incident involving school personnel engaging in sexual misconduct in California schools. In Riverside, a school counselor is accused of secretly recording boys in the bathroom, while in San Jose, a school staffer stands accused of selling a student pornography and dirty underwear. Meanwhile, in Modesto, a teacher has been arrested on child molestation charges.