Local Organizations Work to
Support Survivors and Protect Vulnerable Youth
By Callie Fausey | September 10, 2026
Although it is not as visible as other crimes that occur on State Street, trafficking does happen locally.
In fact, the Federal Bureau of Investigation identified Santa Barbara as a hub for human trafficking, noting its role as a corridor between major cities along Highway 101 and its bustling tourism industry.
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office has the numbers to back that up. Between 2017 and 2024, they identified 261 survivors, 40 percent of whom were county residents. Many were between the ages of 12 and 17, although children as young as 11 have been targeted and groomed by traffickers. Most identified victims are female, but boys can be trafficked, too.
But those numbers only offer a snapshot of a much larger problem.
To paint a picture, the DA’s Office says there are 27,000 ads online for purchasing trafficking victims in Santa Barbara County. It is the fastest-growing criminal industry in the United States, with one of the youngest average ages of entry for its victims: 12.
“It’s our kids,” said Tiffany Carty, supervisor of the Victim-Witness Assistance Program at the DA’s Office, during a Sex Trafficking Awareness Forum at All Saints-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church on July 19.
“It’s our community’s kids that this is happening to.”
It is difficult to tackle a problem when it is even difficult to grasp. Noah’s Anchorage, a Channel Islands YMCA homeless prevention center for youth ages 12 to 17, has been serving the community for more than 50 years. The program offers emergency shelter, drop-in services, counseling, basic needs, supplies, and hygiene items. It is a low-barrier program available around the clock, said Amy Tovias, executive director of youth and family services.
“Youth have been coming to us experiencing exploitation before we probably even realized it,” Tovias said.
What they lacked was a way to identify exploitation early so that survivors could be connected with help sooner.
Typically, survivors are not identified and connected with a social worker until an incident occurs: they are arrested, become victims of a crime, or otherwise enter the system. By then, they may already have experienced significant hardships, Tovias said.