A 33-year-old Santa Barbara man is facing multiple felony charges related to human trafficking and the sexual abuse of at least three underage girls, according to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office and Santa Barbara Police Department.
Santa Barbara police arrested Benito Najera on the morning of October 9, following a traffic stop in the 1000 block of East Gutierrez Street. He was taken into custody without incident and booked into Santa Barbara County Jail, where he is currently being held without bail.
According to police, the investigation began in September after the Santa Barbara Police Department received a report from Child Welfare Services. Investigators allege Najera was supplying juvenile victims with narcotics and alcohol before sexually assaulting them. Detectives identified three victims over the course of their investigation and connected them with advocacy and support services.
Najera is now charged with one count of human trafficking of a minor, multiple counts of rape — including rape of an unconscious person, rape of an intoxicated person, and statutory rape — several counts of forcible oral copulation, one count of production of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography, according to an October 13 press release from District Attorney John T. Savrnoch.
The DA’s Office confirmed Najera was arraigned that day in Department 8 of the Santa Barbara Superior Court, where he entered a plea of not guilty to all charges. The case is scheduled for a preliminary hearing setting on October 20 in Department 12. Senior Deputy District Attorney Megan Chanda is prosecuting.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information related to the case is encouraged to contact the Santa Barbara Police Department at (805) 897-2335.
