By Bob Christie | 10 August 2021
ASSOCIATED PRESS — An Arizona state senator facing child molestation charges who had been getting increasing pressure to step down is resigning.
Republican Senate President Karen Fann said Tuesday that Democratic Sen. Tony Navarrete sent her a brief email informing her that he is resigning immediately.
The action came amid increasing bipartisan pressure on the Phoenix lawmaker to step down from his seat representing a Phoenix-area district.
Navarrete was arrested last week by Phoenix police after a now-16-year-old boy came forward and said Navaratte had molested him starting when he was 12 or 13 years old and continuing until he was 15. A police probable cause statement filed in support of the charges says detectives recorded a call between the boy and the senator where he reportedly acknowledged the molestation and apologized.
Navarrete faces multiple charges of sexual conduct with a minor and a child molestation charge and was released on $50,000 bond on Saturday. He did not enter a plea during an initial court appearance on Friday where a prosecutor said he faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 49 years in prison if convicted of all charges. […]
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