OC Doctor Who Sent 'Sexually Charged' Texts To Teen Students Convicted

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — A physician who volunteered to work at Newport Harbor High School's sporting events faces up to two years in jail in October when he is scheduled to be sentenced for sending sexually charged messages to girls on the cheerleader squad, according to court records obtained Thursday.

David Lee Haller, 55, was convicted Monday of two misdemeanor counts of child annoyance. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 14 in the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach.

One of the girls, who was 15 at the time, said she received a message through Instagram on Aug. 30, 2017, from Haller, masquerading as a 14-year-old girl from Ensign Middle School seeking information about the cheerleading team, according to a trial brief prepared by Deputy District Attorney David McMurrin.

In the message he also asked her if she was "wearing pink spanx yesterday" because "they were cute," McMurrin said. He also asked her if boys ever tried to look up the skirts of cheerleaders, prompting the teen to block him, McMurrin said.

But Haller continued to message her on Snapchat from a "miaperv" account, McMurrin said.

Another teen, who was 15, said she received Snapchat messages from that account on Oct. 27, 2017, McMurrin said. Haller asked if he could donate money to her, the prosecutor said.

On Nov. 3, 2017, Haller messaged the girl saying he saw her bend over at the game and felt guilty about watching her, McMurrin said. Haller was also accused of sending messages to two other girls but was not charged with those allegations.

When a school resource officer confronted Haller about the messages, he said he "liked watching cheerleaders and wanted to compensate them for what they did," McMurrin said.