Arizona State Senator Tony Navarrete has been charged with sexually abusing a minor boy for years. He allegedly attempted to abuse another boy as well.
The 35-year-old was arrested last week after Phoenix police got a complaint about allegations of sexual conduct. The abuse allegedly started in 2019, reported azcentral.com.
After the alleged victims were interviewed by police, one of them was asked to call Navarette. During the call that seemed to have been recorded without Navarrete's knowledge, he confessed to touching the boy's penis and performing oral sex on him several times for years. The boy said that he has anger and anxiety issues that seems to have stemmed from the abuse.
As per documents released by Maricopa County Superior Court, the senator apologized and told the boy that he regretted his actions. "Of course, I regret any bad actions that I did, absolutely wishing everything could be different," Navarrete said during the call. The boy, now age 16, asked Navarrete why he touched his private parts. The senator said that he wasn’t well.
According to the documents, in another alleged incident the senator touched the upper thigh of a boy after reaching under his shorts. In return, the boy slapped his hand away.
The senator virtually appeared in court on Friday. His bond was set at $50,000. He is now due to face court on Aug. 12 for a status conference. On Aug. 16, there will be a preliminary hearing regarding the matter, reported Arizona Mirror. If he is convicted, he might face a minimum sentence of 49 years in jail.
In 2018, the 35-year-old made it to the state Senate after being elected to the Arizona House of Representatives two years before.
The allegations might affect his career too as many, including the Arizona Democratic Party, have called for his resignation, as per Fox News. The party's statement said that while people are entitled to a fair trial, officials who are elected need to be held to the highest ethical standards. They asked Navarrete to resign given the gravity of the felony charges against him.
While everyone in this country is entitled to a fair trial, elected officials must be held to the highest ethical standards. Given the gravity of the felony charges against State Senator Tony Navarrete, the Arizona Democratic Party is calling for his immediate resignation.
— Arizona Democratic Party (@azdemparty) August 6, 2021
Doug Ducey, Arizona's Republican governor, called the allegations against Navarrete "abhorrent." He sent out prayers to the young victims and their loved ones.
