We reported last week on a Democrat Senator in Arizona who was arrested for sexually abusing two children that he lived with in 2019. Well, it appears that he has now been forced to resign from the Senate.
Here’s more:
FOX NEWS – Facing mounting pressure from fellow state officials, an Arizona Democrat resigned Tuesday after being accused of sexual abuse with two minors, according to reports.
State Sen. Tony Navarrete, 35, wrote in an email that he was stepping down immediately, state Senate President Karen Fann, a Republican, told The Associated Press.
Navarrete’s resignation was immediately accepted by Fann and state Senate Democratic leader Rebecca Rios, they said in a joint statement, according to FOX 10 of Phoenix.
Navarrete is accused of repeatedly abusing a boy whom he had been living with who is now 16, starting when the boy was about 12 or 13 and continuing to age 15, FOX 10 reported.
The teen told authorities he deals with anxiety and anger because of the alleged abuse, the station reported.
The disgraced Democrat is also accused of attempting to abuse the teen’s younger brother, according to FOX 10.
After his arrest last week, Navarrete appeared in court Friday but did not enter a plea on charges of child molestation and sexual contact with a minor, the station reported.
Maricopa County Superior Court Commissioner Steve McCarthy set Navarrete’s bond at $50,000 after the suspect’s defense lawyer requested $15,000, the report said.
According to NBC News, Navarrete “adamantly” denies all charges against him. I suspect he’s lying about this, but it is true that sometimes children make false claims to destroy someone’s life. But the resignation itself doesn’t bolster his claims of being innocent.
