Thousand Oaks man arrested on molesting charges
David Lane Braff Jr., a 42-year-old who was a former counselor at McKevett Elementary School in Santa Paula, was arrested on Nov. 22 after being accused of molesting eight students between the ages of 6 to 10. Braff was a Thousand Oaks resident and worked as a counselor from 2015 to 2019, however, at the time of his arrest, he was employed as the assistant principal at Ingenium Charter Middle School in Los Angeles. He was subsequently charged with 17 felony counts of lewd acts on a child younger than 14.
Braff made his first appearance at the Ventura County Superior Court, where Judge Russel-Paul H. Kawai ordered that Braff shall not be released from county jail for the time being. His bail that had originally been set to three million dollars was withheld based on the defendant’s access to a number of victims. Matthew Benitez, an attorney from the Public Defender’s Office, protested the District Attorney’s decision to withhold bail, claiming that as no hearing had been held, the amount set for bail was reasonable. The judge remained firm and said he would revisit the bail at the later hearing. Braff did not enter a plea and his arraignment was postponed until Dec. 20.
Last month, the district attorney’s office and the Santa Paula Police departments initiated their investigations into Braff’s history and the case is ongoing. They have also partnered with prosecutors who have expertise in child sexual abuse. The district released a statement on launching the internal investigation and its partnership with law enforcement. The closing statement read: “We are horrified by this incident and remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all students and staff.”
Ingenium Charter, the school Braff was previously employed at before learning of the allegations, also released a statement from William Toomey, the superintendent: “Ingenium Charter Middle School is devastated to learn of the recent allegations. Upon learning of the allegations from McKevett Elementary in Ventura County, Ingenium took immediate actions to ensure the safety of its students. Our thoughts remain with those affected, and we are dedicated to taking all necessary steps to uphold the trust and safety of our students, staff, and families. Ingenium encourages any individuals with relevant information to cooperate fully with law enforcement and to contact the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.”
A complaint made by the District Attorney contained special allegations that the crimes committed involved planning on vulnerable victims. These allegations will have an authoritative directive and a longer sentence if Braff is convicted as these are further special allegations. The victims included young girls in the first through fifth grades. Prosecutors also believe that the defendant had worked in other Southern California schools and was a volunteer for youth organizations. Prosecutor, Brent Nibecker, is said to have received a tip that Braff allegedly molested children in areas outside of Santa Paula.
With Braff’s history of having extensive access to young children, the investigation will remain ongoing. The authorities encourage others to come forward with information as there may be additional victims and crimes.
