The former Arizona state lawmaker was found guilty of sexual misconduct with a minor in February and sentenced to one year in prison on Friday, according to reports.
KTVK in Phoenix reported that Otoniel “Tony” Navarrete was sentenced by a Maricopa County Superior Court judge to one year in prison and 10 years of supervised release for the crime.
Navarrete will also have to register as a sex offender.
The newspaper also reported that Navarrete’s lawyers plan to appeal the decision.
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Tony Navarrete booking photo (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
On February 29, a Maricopa County jury returned a split verdict against the former Arizona state senator who previously resigned from office amid sexual misconduct allegations.
FOX 10 in Phoenix The jury reportedly returned a split verdict on video provided by court officials, finding Navarrete guilty of one count of sexual misconduct with a child.
Mr. Navarrete was also charged with single counts of child sexual abuse and sexual conduct with a minor, but was acquitted on both counts.
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Arizona State Senator Tony Navarrete (Arizona State Legislature website)
A fourth charge of attempted sexual abuse of a child was dismissed on a motion filed by prosecutors on February 22nd.
The one-term Democratic lawmaker from Phoenix was arrested in August 2021 after allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor surfaced in 2019.
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Inside the courtroom where you can see the gavel. (St. Petersburg)
The charges involve a boy with whom Navarrete lived for several years, and whom Navarrete is accused of having inappropriate contact with when he was 12 or 13 years old, the station reported.
The sexual misconduct reportedly continued until the boy was 15 years old.
Navarrete resigned over the allegations and was replaced by then-state Rep. Raquel Teran.
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Navarrete, 35, was elected to the state House of Representatives for Arizona’s 30th District in 2016 and served one term before being elected to the state Senate in 2018.
