A physician who volunteered for sports games at Newport Harbor High School last year has been charged with sending sexual messages to cheerleaders at the school, prosecutors said Tuesday.
David Lee Haller, 51, of Newport Beach, was charged Monday with two misdemeanor counts of child annoyance, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. Haller also was scheduled to be arraigned Monday.
He volunteered as a doctor at several athletic contests at the high school from October to December, prosecutors said. And, he has served as a doctor and volunteer with the UC Irvine Spirit Squad cheerleading team.
The physician is accused of sending a “sexually motivated and inappropriate manner” message Aug. 30 to a Newport Harbor High School cheerleader on Instagram, prosecutors alleged. Another cheerleader allegedly received a similar message Oct. 27 through the Snapchat application, prosecutors said.
Haller’s attorney, Peter Iocona, declined to comment.
According to state records, Haller was listed as a physician in the department of orthopedics at a Kaiser Permanente facility in Irvine. A message left with Kaiser Permanente was not immediately returned.
Investigators suspect there may be more alleged victims and encouraged anyone with relevant information to call investigator Paul Carvo at (714) 834-5025.