Former DeRidder, Louisiana, Mayor Misty Roberts has been released from prison after serving 90 days for the rape of a teenage boy. Roberts, 43, completed her sentence on Monday, a week after a judge rejected a prosecutor's request to reconsider the term.
In June, Judge Kent Savoie sentenced Roberts to 90 days in jail, a $5,000 fine, and two five-year suspended sentences. She had been convicted by a jury of carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with a juvenile. Prosecutors had sought a maximum of 17 years.
Roberts, a mother of two, was elected mayor of DeRidder, a town of about 9,800 residents, in 2018. She resigned from her position days before her arrest in 2024. The offenses occurred at a 2024 pool party where Roberts, wearing a bikini, engaged with a 16-year-old boy who had been drinking. Court documents and trial testimony indicated she lured the teen to her home and had sex with him.
The victim's mother testified in court that her son's life has been negatively impacted and accused Roberts of attempting to shift blame onto the minor. Testimony from Roberts' teenage son and daughter, as well as her former sister-in-law, also indicated awareness of the encounter. A DoorDash driver testified to delivering emergency contraception to Roberts' home the day after the party, and text messages presented in court showed the victim's mother inquiring about the possibility of pregnancy.
Local residents expressed outrage over the sentence. Kari McGee, a DeRidder native, described the sentence as a "slap on the wrist for a child predator" in comments to KALB, emphasizing the need to use the fullest extent of the law when children are involved.