The former mayor of a Louisiana city has been convicted of raping a 16-year-old boy during a party at her home while she was in office.
Misty Roberts, 43, faces up to 10 years in prison and seven years in prison after a jury in the municipality of DeRidder on Tuesday found her guilty of two felonies: carnal knowledge of a juvenile — or statutory rape — as well as indecent conduct with a minor.
Jurors deliberated for less than an hour at the conclusion of a seven-day trial, during which they heard testimony about how he sexually assaulted an underage boy while the two drank heavily at a pool party at his home in July 2024, during DeRidder’s second term as a top elected official.
On the final day of the trial, the victim testified that—despite drinking so much she vomited—Roberts “flirted” with her by the pool and began kissing her, according to local news outlet KPLC. KPLC testified that Roberts eventually took the boy, who was too young at the time to legally consent to sex, upstairs and raped him.
Roberts’ two children and nephew testified that they saw him and the victim together, although they did not witness the rape. The victim described hearing Roberts arguing with her son and yelling, “Go fight your friend – he’s the one who did it,” KPLC said.
A driver for the delivery service DoorDash testified that he later brought emergency contraceptive Plan B to Roberts’ home. Testimony revealed that Roberts had also instructed her children and nephew to lie about everything they saw, even sending one of them the message: “Keep lying until you die.”
Roberts’ ex-husband, Duncan Clanton, testified that she confessed directly to him that she had committed the crime and that she had been caught by their children.
A criminal complaint that was later filed and reported as part of the case cited Daily Mail text messages allegedly sent from Roberts to Clanton that read, “I messed up. And I respect you enough to tell you.”
KPLC reported that another message sent by Roberts to Clanton during the trial said, “I can’t keep hurting others, friends and family. Lord knows I’ve had enough.”
His sentencing is tentatively scheduled for April 17.
Roberts resigned as mayor of DeRidder a day after authorities began investigating a complaint that he raped a minor. There was no mention of that inquiry in his resignation letter.
He later posted a $75,000 bond to await his trial out of custody. Roberts was allowed to remain out on bond until sentencing.
Roberts’ attorneys, Adam Johnson and Todd Clemons, said in a statement that they respect the jury’s decision but are “disappointed”. He added, “We ask the public to remember that behind every headline lies a real person and family.”
In October, in an unrelated case, his 40-year-old brother, Brandon Lee Roberts, pleaded guilty to raping two people: an underage girl and a young woman. He later received a prison sentence of 42 years.
Misty Roberts Inn 2018 Made history by becoming the first woman elected as mayor of DeRidder. He won a second four-year term in 2022.
She said public form. For Louisiana news outlets in May 2024, Best of SWLA was about enduring “hard years”, partly due to two hurricanes that affected her community, a divorce and the death of someone close to her.
Roberts was quoted as saying, “I could never be mayor.”
Roberts, who did not list any political party affiliation, also told the outlet that she intends to run for a third term in the mayoral primary election in May.
Just east of Louisiana’s border with Texas, DeRidder is home to about 10,000 people. Following Roberts’ resignation, the city elected its first Black mayor, Michael D. Harris.
