India, Sept. 16 -- FBI director Kash Patel on Tuesday defended changes to the bureau's hiring standards that allowed applicants with past involvement in prostitution and bestiality to be considered for jobs. The policy was changed to prevent victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation from being automatically disqualified, Patel said.

The issue came up during a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, where Republican senator John Kennedy of Louisiana and Democratic senator Dick Durbin of Illinois questioned Patel about the changes.

The FBI revised its hiring standards last year to remove prostitution, bestiality and certain other conduct from the list of automatic disqualifications, Reuters reported. This allows some applicants...