A former Ventura County school counselor, who was arrested on suspicion of molesting eight children, was charged with additional crimes after five more child victims were identified.
The additional charges on David Lane Braff, Jr. 42, of Thousand Oaks were announced by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office on April 29.
Braff was previously arrested on November 22, 2024, for the alleged molestation of eight students at McKevett Elementary School in Santa Paula. The crimes allegedly occurred between 2015 and 2019 when Braff worked as a school counselor.
He was working as an assistant principal and school counselor at Ingenium Charter Middle School in Los Angeles when he was taken into custody. He has remained in custody on $3 million bail.
On April 29, prosecutors filed an amended criminal complaint adding 14 new felony counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14 years old.
Four of the new victims were also students at McKevett Elementary School. The fifth victim was allegedly abused between 2004 and 2005 while Braff was working with the Conejo Recreation and Park District in Thousand Oaks.
Braff is now accused of molesting 13 children and the total number of charged violations has increased to 31 counts of child molestation against male and female victims, prosecutors said.
The initial charges also included allegations that Braff took advantage of a position of trust, preyed on particularly vulnerable victims, and committed the crimes with planning and sophistication.
Braff’s full employment history showed that he has held numerous jobs that involved working with children over the past two decades:
- Conejo Recreation and Park District, Thousand Oaks – Part-Time Gym Attendant/Part-Time Recreation Leader (April 2000 – August 2005)
- Conejo Valley Unified School District, Thousand Oaks – Intramural Sports Coach, Campus Supervisor, Childcare Assistant, Substitute Child Leader, Boys’ Freshman Basketball Coach (September 2003 – April 2015; Childcare Assistant 2012–2015)
- Moorpark Unified School District, Moorpark – Paraeducator and Campus Supervisor/Instructional Assistant (January 2006 – August 2015)
- The ABA Network, Inc., Thousand Oaks – Behavioral Therapist (July 2014 – August 2014)
- Santa Paula Unified School District, Santa Paula – McKevett Elementary School Counselor (August 2015 – November 2019)
- Bright Star Schools, Los Angeles – School Counselor (November 2019 – unknown)
- Rio School District, Oxnard – Substitute Teacher (September 2019 – unknown)
- Sports Academy, Thousand Oaks – Referee (June 2021 – November 2024)
- Ventura Unified School District, Ventura – Counselor (January 2022 – February 2023)
- Ingenium Charter Middle School, Canoga Park – Assistant Principal/School Counselor (March 2023 – November 2024)
“The defendant is now accused of molesting even more young victims across multiple years and locations,” said Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. “Our investigators and prosecutors remain committed to uncovering the full extent of this defendant’s crimes, and we urge anyone with information to contact our office.”
An arraignment hearing is scheduled for May 21 at Ventura County Superior Court.
Anyone who may have been a victim of Braff or has additional information on the case is urged to call Ventura County District Attorney Investigator Greg Webb at 805-477-1627.
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