A former state lawmaker in Arizona has been sentenced on April 26 to a jail term of one year after being found guilty of sexual misconduct with a minor.
Former Arizona State Sen. Otoniel "Tony" Navarrete, a Democrat, faced multiple sex charges involving a minor. However, he was only found guilty on one count. According to AZFamily, the April 26 guilty verdict followed a jury delivering a split verdict in February in his child molestation case. At the time, a jury deemed him not guilty on one count of molestation of a child and sexual conduct with a minor – but convicted him on a separate charge of sexual conduct with a minor.
"During sentencing, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ordered one year in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for his single count of child sex crime. He is also now required to register as a sex offender," the outlet added.
The former politician was arrested in 2019 and indicted in 2021 on seven child sex crime charges. A mistrial was declared in October 2023 because jurors were split on a decision about the allegations against him.
According to court documents at the time, Navarrete sexually touched the victim multiple times over a few years. The 35-year-old repeatedly apologized to his under-aged victim, regretting his actions in a phone call recorded by law enforcement.
Navarrete reportedly claimed he "wasn't well" when the abuse happened. He resigned in August 2021, concurrently releasing a statement that said he "adamantly denied all allegations" and would prove his innocence.
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Navarrete was first elected as state representative for Arizona's 30th District – which encompasses Maricopa, La Paz, Mohave and Yavapai counties – in 2016. He served one term in the Arizona House of Representatives before being elected to the Arizona Senate in 2018. Following Navarrete's 2021 resignation, Democratic State Rep. Raquel Teran took over the seat he vacated.
Commentators decry Navarrete's lenient punishment
Fox News reported that a fourth charge of attempting to commit molestation of a child was brought forward against Navarrete. However, this was dismissed by a motion filed by prosecutors on Feb. 22. During the April 26 sentencing, the sex offender's attorney announced they would file a notice of appeal to overturn his conviction.
The measly one-year prison term imposed on Navarrete did not sit well with several commentators. The Libs of TikTok account took note of this, comparing it to the more draconian sentences on pro-life activists.
"[Navarrete] was just sentenced to one year in prison for molesting a minor. Meanwhile, six pro-lifers are facing 11 years in prison from [President Joe] Biden's DOJ [Department of Justice] for standing in front of an abortion clinic," they wrote. "The 'justice system' is broken."
The official X account for the 2014 documentary "An Open Secret" also chimed in, noting that Navarrete's crime of "sexual conduct with a minor" was a Class 6 felony. "He had many friends in high places," the account posted.
This wasn't the first time a Democrat got a mere slap on the wrist for child sexual abuse. Back in November, Patrick Wojahn – the former mayor of College Park, Maryland – pleaded guilty to 140 counts of child pornography and was sentenced to 150 years in prison. However, the judge in charge of the case suspended his sentence to 30 years. (Related: Gay former Democratic mayor sentenced to 150 years behind bars for 140+ counts of child pornography, but will only serve 30 years.)
According to InfoWars, Wojahn – who was mentored by Transportation Secretary and former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg – found himself serving a lighter sentence thanks to Prince George's County Circuit Judge Karen Mason.
Moreover, "nonviolent" are eligible for parole after serving one-fourth of their sentence under Maryland law – which amounts to seven-and-a-half years. Upon release, Wojahn must undergo five years of supervised probation and register as a sex offender.
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Watch Alex Jones talk about former Arizona State Sen. Tony Navarrete's 2019 arrest in the clip below.
This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.
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