Sports medicine physician accused of 'sexting' 2 athletes: 6 things to know

Orthopedic Sports Medicine

Newport Beach, Calif.-based family and sports medicine physician David Lee Haller, MD, was charged with sending sexual messages to two cheerleaders from a school where he volunteered as a physician during athletic events, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Here are six things to know:

1. He was charged June 18 with two misdemeanor counts of child annoyance, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. He is scheduled to be arraigned June 26.

2. According to prosecutors, Dr. Haller volunteered at several athletic events at Newport Harbor High School from October to December. He is no longer associated with the school, according to Newport-Mesa Unified School District officials.

3. He previously served as a volunteer for UC Irvine's Spirit Squad cheerleading team. In March, the university launched an investigation after a student reported improper social media contact with Dr. Haller, who was suspended during the probe and has since resigned.

4. Dr. Haller is accused of sending a "sexually motivated and inappropriate" message Aug. 30, 2017, to a Newport Harbor High School cheerleader on Instagram. Prosecutors claim another cheerleader received a similar message Oct. 27, 2017, through Snapchat.

5. Dr. Haller was listed as a physician at a Kaiser Permanente facility in Irvine. He is currently on leave from Kaiser Permanente.

6. Dr. Haller could face a maximum of two years in county jail if convicted, according to prosecutors.

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