Former Arizona state lawmaker Otoniel “Tony” Navarrete has been sentenced to one year in prison and 10 years of supervised release for sexual misconduct with a minor. Navarrete, who was found guilty of one count of sexual misconduct with a child but not guilty of child molestation, is also required to register as a sex offender. His attorney plans to file an appeal following the sentencing in Maricopa County Superior Court. The charges stemmed from allegations of inappropriate behavior with a boy he was living with over several years, beginning when the boy was 12 or 13.
Navarrete, a first-term Democrat from Phoenix, was arrested in August 2021 after the allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor in 2019 came to light. The allegations included accusations of inappropriate touching that continued until the boy was 15. Navarrete resigned from his post as a state senator following the charges and was replaced by then-State Rep. Raquel Terán. The jury delivered a split verdict in Navarrete’s case, with him being found guilty of one count of sexual misconduct with a child while he was found not guilty of child molestation. A charge of attempting to commit molestation of a child was dismissed by prosecutors.
The former state lawmaker’s legal troubles began after a Maricopa County jury found him guilty of one count of sexual misconduct with a child. He faced additional charges of child molestation and having sexual conduct with a minor, both of which he was found not guilty of. The fourth charge of attempting to commit molestation of a child was dismissed by prosecutors in February. Navarrete, who had previously stepped down from his legislative role over the allegations, was ultimately sentenced to one year in prison and 10 years of supervised release, in addition to being required to register as a sex offender.
Following the split verdict in Navarrete’s case, it was determined that he would be sentenced to a one-year prison term and 10 years of supervised release. The former state lawmaker, who was elected to the state Senate in 2018 after serving one term as a state representative, will also be required to register as a sex offender. The allegations against Navarrete involved inappropriate behavior with a boy he was living with over several years, beginning when the boy was 12 or 13. The sexual misconduct continued until the boy was 15, leading to Navarrete’s resignation from his post.
In conclusion, former Arizona state lawmaker Otoniel “Tony” Navarrete has been sentenced to one year in prison and 10 years of supervised release for sexual misconduct with a minor. The charges stemmed from allegations of inappropriate behavior with a boy he was living with over several years, beginning when the boy was 12 or 13. Despite being found guilty of one count of sexual misconduct with a child, Navarrete was acquitted of child molestation. Following the sentencing, he is also required to register as a sex offender and his attorney plans to file an appeal. Navarrete resigned from his legislative role following the allegations and was ultimately replaced by another state lawmaker.