Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), candidate for U.S. Senate fought to defend men arrested with child prostitutes, arguing that some 12-year-olds look like adults. (The Daily Caller)
While serving in the state legislature, Sinema argued against eliminating a loophole that allowed men caught with child prostitutes to use the child’s appearance as a defense. She claimed it was “not fair” to get rid of the loophole.
“As a former social worker at an elementary school, there were children at my school, 12, 13-year-old, and some of these children look older than me. They were much more, I mean, definitely sophisticated, developed,” Sinema said in a 2007 hearing.
“If I had seen a number of my former students at a place outside a classroom, I would not have known that those children were 12 instead of 19 or 20,” she said.
Conservative political action committee Defend Arizona first slammed Sinema for protecting child rapists in an ad released Tuesday. Local Arizona media station KTVK fact-checked the ad and found it was accurate.
Sinema is in a close race with GOP Rep. Martha McSally for retiring Republican Sen. Jeff Flake’s seat.