A Santa Barbara man is accused of human trafficking and rape in a case involving three female minor victims, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Benito Najera, 33, was charged this week with multiple felonies, including rape of an unconscious person, rape of an intoxicated person, and statutory rape; forcible oral copulation; human trafficking of a minor; using a minor for sex acts; production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
Allegations in the criminal case occurred earlier this year, with some in the period of January to May and others in September, according to the criminal complaint filed in court.
The female victims are not named in court documents, but dates of birth put them at 14 years old, 16 years old and 17 years old at the time of the alleged crimes.
The Santa Barbara Police Department said it received a Child Welfare Services report in September and “learned that a male adult from Santa Barbara was engaging in inappropriate behavior with juvenile females.”
That suspect “was reportedly supplying the juveniles with narcotics and alcohol before sexually assaulting them,” police said Thursday.
Detectives identified three victims, whom they connected with support services, police said.
Najera was identified as the suspect in this investigation and arrested during a traffic stop on Oct. 9, police said.
He is being held in county jail without bail, according to Sheriff’s Office custody records.
Najera had an arraignment hearing in Santa Barbara County Superior Court on Monday and entered a plea of not guilty to all charges, Senior Deputy District Attorney Megan Chanda said.
He is due back in court on Monday.
Najera faces 11 felony charges and special allegations that the offenses are serious and/or violent felonies and that there were aggravating factors of vulnerable victims and the crime involved great violence, great bodily harm, threat of great bodily harm, or other acts disclosing a high degree of cruelty, viciousness, or callousness,” according to the criminal complaint.