PEORIA, Ariz. — Peoria PD recently released a report saying a registered sex offender had stayed off and on at the vice mayor's residence without reporting it. Now, the mayor and a majority of city councilmembers are calling for her resignation.
Peoria's city council met Tuesday night after the mayor and majority of councilmembers sent a letter calling for Vice Mayor Denette Dunn to step down.
Peoria PD's report states they were notified in late July about the man possibly staying at Dunn's home off and on who had possibly failed to register as a sex offender.
In 1984, when the man in question was 24 years old, he was found guilty of rape, pimping and furnishing PCP to a minor. He was sentenced to ten years in prison in California.
He previously registered in Arizona in July of this year claiming to be homeless.
Arizona law states if a registered sex offender spends three nights in a thirty day window at a location, it is considered a residence and they must register it.
Peoria PD say they talked to the man and he said he had stayed at Dunn's home twenty or thirty times in the past year. He stated he was unaware that would qualify as a residence.
He told police he would no longer be staying there and has since updated his address and is no longer out of compliance. Peoria PD indicated their case was closed.
Despite that, Peoria Mayor Jason Beck and all other city councilmembers signed a letter calling on Dunn to resign.
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In a statement, Beck said, "As public officials, we swear an oath to uphold the rule of law and defend the public safety of every single resident in Peoria. It is with a united front that we, the Council, request Councilmember Dunn to immediately resign for having a sex offender living in her home who was not registered at her residence. The law mandates that the public and families in her community to receive this notice. Despite varying perspectives on public policy among councilmembers, we are all united in asking her to hold herself accountable for this breach of public trust."
At Tuesday night's council meeting, a handful of residents spoke during public comment. All but one resident questioned the mayor and other councilmember's decision to publicly release their letter. Some residents noted they did not believe Dunn did anything wrong.
One resident said it is not the business of the mayor and council, but Dunn's district, Pine District, to resolve this.
Dunn was re-elected to the city council and started her four-year term in January of this year.
Her attorney, Tim La Sota, called the mayor and councilmembers effort a "nothing burger."
"The public clearly is not impressed by these continuing efforts by the politicians to manufacture an issue. That was the clear message, and that the politicians should butt out," La Sota said.
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