Former Arizona state Sen. Otoniel “Tony” Navarrete on Friday received a sentence of one year in prison following his February conviction for sexually molesting a teenage boy he was caring for.
The former lawmaker, dressed in a suit, was taken into custody by a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office deputy after the proceeding.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Kristin Culbertson, before ordering the sentence, offered Navarrete the chance to get 60 days in jail and 10 years of supervised probation. She granted a brief recess to allow the former lawmaker and his attorney to consider her offer or receive a different sentence.
Navarrete, a Democrat, decided to reject the offer of probation, leading Culbertson to order the one-year sentence.
Sentencing guidelines barred Culbertson from giving him more time in prison. But Navarrete, through his attorney, said he would not comply with probation terms that required him to participate in counseling, because such counseling demands that he admit to his guilt, which he will not do. The judge did not order internet restrictions for Navarrete, which she said weren’t appropriate in this case.