An elementary school assistant principal was arrested on Friday and charged with molesting eight children at a school in Santa Paula, California.

David Lane Braff Jr., 42, faces 17 counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14 and is scheduled for arraignment on Monday, Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced. He also faces special allegations of multiple victims, vulnerable victims, carrying out the crimes with planning, sophistication, and professionalism, and taking advantage of a position of trust.

The victims were molested at McKevett Elementary School while Braff worked there as a counselor between 2015 and 2019. His victims were said to be between 6 and 10 and the crimes took place in an office.

At the time of his arrest, Nasarenko said, Braff was working as a counselor and assistant principal at Ingenium Charter Middle School in Los Angeles.

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

The district attorney’s office opened an investigation in consultation with the Santa Paula Police Department last month, the district attorney said.

No further details were released.

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[Featured image: David Lane Braff Jr/Ventura County District Attorney’s Office]