Arizona State Senator Arrested for Sexual Conduct With Underage Boy, Fellow Democrats Call For His Resignation

Arizona state senator Tony Navarrete was arrested on suspicion of engaging in sexual conduct with an underage boy. He was ordered to be held in custody on a $50,000 bond.

The Phoenix Police Department said it received a report on Wednesday about claims of the alleged conduct between Navarrete and the boy in 2019. The boy is now 16 years old.

They arrested the Arizona state senator Thursday after investigators talked to the juvenile victim and witnesses, Washington Examiner reported.

According to a police report, Tony Navarrete allegedly molested and have sexual contact with the boy, who was 12 or 13 years old at the time, for several years. The Arizona state senator is also accused of trying to have sexual contact with the victim's younger brother, who is now 13 years old.

Arizona State Senator Accused of Molesting a Minor

The juvenile victim said Tony Navarrete first molested him by touching his penis while he was sleeping. He also told police that the 35-year-old Arizona state senator would lie down in bed next to him and touch his genitals under his clothes.

The boy added that Navarrete also sometimes forced oral sex on him, Arizona Mirror reported. In one instance, the boy recalled that Navarrete told him that he should not be doing it since it was wrong before he allegedly continued to molest the child.

A sex crime prosecutor in Maricopa County Attorney's Office, Jeanine Sorrentino, asked for a $50,000 bond and a mandatory 49 years in prison if the Arizona state senator is convicted on all charges.

Navarrete is facing various charges, including three class two felonies for sexual conduct with a minor, two class six felonies for sexual conduct with a minor, and one class four felony for attempted sexual contact with a minor.

Sorrentino noted that the "high prison sentence" makes the state senator a flight risk. However, the attorney representing Navarrete countered that his client was not a flight risk, saying he cooperated with police and was even willing to surrender his passport.

But Superior Court Commissioner Steve McCarthy, who presided over the hearing with Navarrete on Friday, was not convinced and ordered the state senator to be held until a $50,000 secured bond was paid.

Tony Navarrete is set to appear in court on August 12 for a status conference and scheduled on August 16 for a preliminary hearing.

Calls for Tony Navarrete's Resignation

Following the charges against Tony Navarrete, the Arizona governor and his fellow Democratic lawmakers called for his resignation.

Republican Gov. Dough Ducey took to Twitter to express his statements. Ducey said the allegations are "abhorrent."

The Republican governor also offered his prayers to the victims and their loved ones during the challenging time. Legislative Democrats had also asked for Navarrete's resignation after the allegations were made public.

The statement from the lawmakers said that the felony charges against him provide an "untenable distraction" from his role as an elected official and public servant. Navarrete should do the right for all involved and immediately resign, according to the Democratic lawmakers.

Senate President Karen Fann also said that she's waiting for Navarrete's immediate resignation. Fann noted that the charges are serious and alarming and require the senator to step down immediately, 12 News reported.

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Arizona Senator Tony Navarrete Arrested on Child Sex Crimes - From ABC15 Arizona