An Arizona man accused of sexually exploiting minors fainted to the courtroom floor after finding out he could be tossed behind bars for up to 100 years over felony child sexual exploitation charges.
Joshua James Lozano, a 42-year-old hospital worker from Glendale, hit the deck at the podium inside a Phoenix courtroom during a dramatic 5 a.m. hearing following an extensive Glendale police probe into explicit online material, per the New York Post.
Lozano’s legs gave out as Maricopa County prosecutor Ashley Stetson laid out his possible fate: 10 felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, each carrying a mandatory 10-year prison sentence to be served back-to-back under state law.
Under Arizona’s strict statutes on crimes against children, judges must hand down consecutive sentences rather than allowing time to run concurrently. That strict sentencing formula left the hospital worker staring down a potential century in prison.
Lozano’s sudden collapse brought the early-morning proceedings to a halt, forcing the judge to call in jail medical personnel to tend to Lozano. Under state rules, the medical emergency permitted the court to pause proceedings beyond the usual 24-hour deadline for initial appearances.
Prior to the courtroom drama, investigators revealed that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children flagged multiple CyberTips from Lozano’s internet service provider earlier this year. Detectives executed search warrants on Verizon Wireless and Metronet, tracing an online account, phone number, and IP addresses directly to the suspect. Stetson further alleged that the hospital worker had been communicating directly with underage minors online.
Lozano, who cleans surgical equipment at Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center in Sun City West and has lived in Glendale with his wife for eight years, also has past arrests for DUI and driving on a suspended license.
Defense attorney Michael Tamou asked for a lower $50,000 bond by pointing to the defendant’s local ties. But the judge was having none of it, siding with prosecutors and locking down a $150,000 secured bond.
If Lozano raises the cash to post bail, his freedom will come with heavy restrictions. He will be forced to wear an electronic leg monitor, banned from possessing a smartphone, barred from accessing the internet outside legal matters, and strictly forbidden from contacting any minors.
Lozano remains in custody and is set for his next court date on September 21.
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