By F. Scott Faulkner
October 13, 2025 – Santa Barbara County, Ca.
A months-long investigation into reports of sexual exploitation of minors has led to the arrest of
Benito Najera, 33, of Santa Barbara, on a string of serious felony charges.
According to the Santa Barbara Police Department Public Information Officer Sgt. Jarrod Foote,
the case began in September when Child Welfare Services alerted detectives that an adult male
was allegedly engaging in “inappropriate behavior with juvenile females.”
Investigators soon learned the suspect had reportedly been supplying drugs and alcohol to the teens before sexually
assaulting them.
Detectives identified three victims ages 14, 16, and 17, and connected them with support services
as the case unfolded.
The investigators worked quickly to ensure the victims were safe and received the help they needed.
Najera was taken into custody on Oct. 9 during a traffic stop and booked into the Santa Barbara
County Jail, where was booked on charges that include:
Human trafficking of a minor, rape of an unconscious person, rape of an intoxicated person, forcible oral copulation, statutory rape, and
multiple counts related to child pornography.
He remains in custody on a no-bail hold.
