Prosecutors told a Ventura County court in California how a moon-faced assistant principal charged with molesting girls as young as six carried out his sick schemes with ‘planning, sophistication or professionalism.’
The 42-year-old David Braff, appeared in court on Friday after he was accused of 17 counts of lewd acts on children – the oldest of whom was just 10.
Braff is alleged to have committed the crimes on eight different girls over a four-year period while he was working as a counsellor at McKevett Elementary in Santa Paula, some 70 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
At the time of his arrest, Braff was employed as an assistant principal at Ingenium Charter Middle School 40 miles east in Winnetka.
Appearing in blue prison scrubs before a judge on Friday, the suspected child molester said nothing during his brief scheduled arraignment in Ventura County Superior Court.
At the request of defense attorney Nicholas Gray, Judge Paul Kawai agreed to continue Braff’s arraignment to January 24 next year and remanded him back to Ventura County Jail where he’s been held since his November 22 arrest.
Braff, from Thousand Oaks, California, was held after authorities launched an investigation into sexual abuse allegations against him in October.
‘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 Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko.
David Lane Braff, 42, who has been in custody since his November 22 arrest, was seen attending his arraignment hearing in blue prison scrubs in Ventura County Superior Court on Friday
The school principal and counsellor is charged with 17 counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14, alleged to have taken place over a four-year period while he was working at McKevett Elementary
Prosecutors say the alleged offences took place in a school office between 2015 and 2019 and the victims were aged from six to 10.
The alleged felonies involve ‘vulnerable’ victims, according to prosecutors.
Shocked by the charges against him, Ingenium Charter issued a lengthy statement saying school staff were ‘devastated.’
‘Upon learning of the allegations from McKevett Elementary in Ventura County, Ingenium took immediate actions to ensure the safety of its students,’ the statement went on.
‘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.
The charter school also encouraged others who knew potential victims to cooperate with law enforcement.
The Santa Paula United School District made a similar statement and said it was ‘working in close collaboration with law enforcement’ in the investigation of the crimes Braff allegedly committed against young children in an office at McKevett Elementary.
Braff was employed as an assistant principal at Ingenium Charter Middle School at the time of his arrest
Prosecutors say the alleged offenses took place in a school office between 2015 and 2019 and the victims, all girls, were aged six to 10.
Cops are still looking into Braff’s work history but he’s believed to have held jobs at other schools in California and he may also have volunteered at various youth organizations.
‘Given the defendant’s history of re-occurring access to children, this investigation and prosecution remains ongoing,’ added DA Nasarenko who is urging members of the public to come forward if they have any information about Braff.
