{{Short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Tony Navarrete | image = Tony Navarrete by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg | state_senate = Arizona | district = 30th | term_start = January 14, 2019 | term_end = August 10, 2021 | predecessor = Robert Meza | successor = | state_house1 = Arizona | district1 = 30th | term_start1 = January 9, 2017 | term_end1 = January 14, 2019 | predecessor1 = Debbie McCune Davis | successor1 = Raquel Terán | alongside1 = Ray Martinez | birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|35|2021|8|11}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | spouse = | children = | alma_mater = | profession = | website = | succeeded = Raquel Terán }} '''Otoniel''' "'''Tony'''" '''Navarrete''' (born October 14, 1986)<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/08/11/arizona-navarrete-arrested-resigned/|title = An Arizona state senator has resigned days after police say he apologized for molesting a teen boy|newspaper = The Washington Post|date = August 11, 2021|accessdate = August 11, 2021|last = Lipscomb|first = Jessica}}</ref> is an American politician who served as the state senator for Arizona's 30th legislative district from 2019 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served one term as a state representative for Arizona's 30th legislative district from 2017 to 2019. He resigned from the state senate on August 10, 2021, after being charged with multiple counts of sexual conduct with underaged children.<ref name="azfamily">{{cite news |last1=Baker |first1=David |title=Documents reveal sexual allegations between state Sen. Tony Navarrete, two children |url=https://www.azfamily.com/news/state-senator-arrested-for-suspected-sexual-conduct-with-child-in-phoenix/article_ed0e83fe-f670-11eb-a102-2b853eab6069.html?block_id=997196 |access-date=August 7, 2021 |date=August 7, 2021}}</ref><ref name = CNN>{{cite news|url = https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/10/politics/otoniel-navarrete-resign-arizona-child-sexual-abuse/index.html|title = Arizona state lawmaker resigns after arrest on child sexual abuse charges|last1 = Rose|first1 = Andy|last2 = LeBlanc|first2 = Paul|date = August 10, 2021|accessdate = August 10, 2021|work = CNN}}</ref>
==Career== Navarrete was a community organizer with Promise Arizona, a pro-immigration advocacy group which helped Hispanics and Latinos register to vote at taco trucks after Marco Gutierrez's "taco trucks on every corner" remark.<ref>[http://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2016/11/16/does-election-shift-dreamers-to-mass-deportation-az-immigrants-fear-future/ "Does election shift DREAMers to mass deportation? AZ immigrants fear future"]. ''Arizona Capitol Times'', November 16, 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2016/10/06/taco-trucks-on-every-corner-inspires-voter.html "'Taco trucks on every corner' inspires voter registration at Valley food truck"]. ''Phoenix Business Journal'', October 6, 2016.</ref> During his time in office, Navarrete was one of four openly LGBT members of the Arizona State Legislature, alongside Robert Meza, Daniel Hernández, and Cesar Chavez,<ref>[http://www.statepress.com/article/2018/04/sppolitics-after-phoenix-pride-lgbtqia-politicians-speak-to-students-about-their-success "After Phoenix Pride, LGBT political representation is a yearlong issue"]. ''The State Press'', April 15, 2018.</ref> and was a founding member of the legislature's LGBT caucus.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/11/26/564572328/in-arizona-advocating-for-the-lgbtq-community-starts-in-local-politics|title=In Arizona, Advocating For The LGBTQ Community Starts In Local Politics|work=NPR.org|access-date=November 27, 2017|language=en}}</ref>
==Child sex abuse charges== On August 5, 2021, Navarrete was arrested in Phoenix on multiple charges of sexual conduct with a minor in 2019, including one count of molestation of a minor involving two boys aged 16 and 13. The two victims worked with the FBI to secure verbal testimony from Navarrete admitting to and apologizing for the sexual acts. The two boys, per the police report, were his nephews. Navarette abused one boy at night for several years per recorded conversations overhead by police. He was released on a $50,000 secured bond. The serious nature of the charges resulted in bipartisan calls for his resignation.<ref name = azfamily/> Navarette resigned on August 10, 2021.<ref name = CNN/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/phoenix-arizona-senate-glendale-maricopa-county-b1905712.html | title=Ex-Arizona state senator accused of molestation indicted | website=Independent.co.uk | date=August 20, 2021 }}</ref>
In October 2023, Navarrete's case resulted in a mistrial. The case went to trial again, where in February 2024, a jury convicted Navarrete of one count of sexual conduct with a minor, but acquitted him of molestation of a child and a second count of sexual conduct with a minor. In April 2024, Navarrete was sentenced to one year in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for his crimes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.azfamily.com/2024/04/27/former-arizona-state-senator-sentenced-1-year-child-sex-abuse/|title=Former Arizona state senator sentenced to 1 year for child sex abuse|publisher=Arizona's Family|date=2024-04-27|accessdate=2025-10-15}}</ref>
==Elections== In 2016, Navarrete and Ray Martinez defeated incumbent Jonathan Larkin in the Democratic primary and went on to defeat Republican Gary Cox the general election.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.azsos.gov/sites/azsos.gov/files/2016_1205_official_final_signed_state_canvass_for_2016_gen.pdf |title= State of Arizona Official Canvass 2016 General Election November 8, 2016 |publisher= Secretary of State of Arizona |location= Phoenix, Arizona |page= 15 |accessdate= December 9, 2016 |url-status= dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20161220203745/https://www.azsos.gov/sites/azsos.gov/files/2016_1205_official_final_signed_state_canvass_for_2016_gen.pdf |archivedate= December 20, 2016 }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://ballotpedia.org/Tony_Navarrete Biography] at Ballotpedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Navarrete, Tony}} Category:Democratic Party Arizona state senators Category:Arizona politicians convicted of crimes Category:Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in Arizona Category:Hispanic and Latino American LGBTQ people Category:LGBTQ state legislators in Arizona Category:Living people Category:Democratic Party members of the Arizona House of Representatives Category:American politicians convicted of sex offences Category:American people convicted of child sexual abuse Category:1986 births Category:21st-century members of the Arizona State Legislature Category:Arizona State University alumni Category:Politicians convicted of sex offences