A judge in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana, handed down a 90-day jail sentence on Tuesday to Misty Roberts, the former two-term mayor of DeRidder, following her felony convictions for sexually abusing a teenage boy. The punishment, delivered by Judge Kent Savoie at the Beauregard Parish Courthouse, included a suspended 10-year prison sentence, contingent on Roberts completing psychological counseling and submitting to random drug and alcohol screenings. She was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, cover $300 in prosecution costs, and maintain a strict distance from the victim and his family.
"She was not just some crazy mom, she was the mayor. She was in a position of trust. There’s no way an elected official can have sex with a child and not go to jail." — Charles Robinson, Prosecutor
Roberts, 44, had been found guilty on two counts: indecency with a minor and carnal knowledge of a minor, each carrying a five-year sentence. Despite the potential for a decade behind bars, Judge Savoie structured the sentence to prioritize supervised rehabilitation outside of a long-term prison stay. Her defense attorney, Adam Johnson, confirmed Roberts declined a $150,000 bond that would have allowed her to remain free during an appeal, stating, “She wants to get it over with. She doesn’t want it hanging over her head.”
The courtroom proceedings were marked by emotional testimony and sharp exchanges. Prosecutor Charles Robinson, who had pushed for a maximum 17-year term, expressed concerns about Roberts's demeanor and requested an on-the-spot drug test, which the judge denied. Robinson cited Roberts's appearance at earlier proceedings, stating, “She had sores on her face. I got the impression she was using narcotics.”
The most impactful moments came during the victim’s family statements. The boy's mother delivered a powerful address, contrasting Roberts's public image with the danger she posed. "Danger doesn’t always come looking like danger. It doesn’t always look like a man with candy in a van or a stranger we tell our kids to be aware of," she stated. "This danger came from a predator with hair extensions, high heels, Botox and other augmentations." She detailed the profound impact on her son, describing him as anxious and withdrawn after the incident became public. She recounted an instance at a football game where an adult shouted "mayor slayer" at the boy, and reported her son crying out in his sleep.
The mother also directly challenged Roberts's defense, which she said attempted to place responsibility on the teenager. "You claimed my son was the aggressor but why didn’t you run? Instead, you took a bathroom break and came back to mount him," she asserted. Her final assessment of Roberts’s remorse was unequivocal: "She is not sorry for what she did, she is only sorry it got out."
When Roberts spoke, she avoided eye contact with the victim’s mother, tearfully addressing the court. "It was reckless. It was irresponsible. I wish I could do it over," she said, acknowledging the damage inflicted on those caught in the fallout. She appealed for leniency, stating, "I’m here just asking for grace and mercy and for the opportunity to do what the Lord wants me to do — to be a mom." These remarks were met with audible scoffs from the packed gallery, where her ex-husband, Duncan Clanton, was present. Roberts also referenced her political past, adding, "I made a lot of promises to put DeRidder on the map. This isn’t the way I wanted to do it."
Judge Savoie also delivered pointed remarks to Roberts, noting her "tendency to minimize and to blame, to some extent, the victim of the crime." He indicated that the victim's family's testimony had deeply moved him. Following the sentencing, court officers cuffed Roberts and escorted her to a prison van. Prosecutor Robinson remained unconvinced by Roberts's emotional display, stating after court, "I did not see a single tear. Her face was dry." He reiterated his argument for a harsher sentence, emphasizing Roberts's position of trust as an elected official. "She was not just some crazy mom, she was the mayor. She was in a position of trust. There’s no way an elected official can have sex with a child and not go to jail," he contended.
The underlying incident occurred on July 20, 2024, at a birthday pool party Roberts hosted while still serving as mayor. Trial evidence included a photograph taken by a partygoer and testimony from Roberts’s own children, who witnessed parts of the events. The victim testified, "While it was happening, I couldn’t feel my body." A jury deliberated for less than an hour to convict her at a March retrial, after an earlier proceeding ended in a mistrial.
Roberts made history in 2018 as DeRidder’s first female mayor and secured a second term in 2022. She resigned shortly before her arrest in August 2024. She is now classified as a Tier 1 registered sex offender. Her children have resided with her ex-husband, Duncan Clanton, since December 2024, with any visits requiring his approval. The case also brought to light that Roberts’s brother, Brandon Lee Roberts, 40, received a 32-year prison sentence in November for raping two women, one of whom was 13 at the onset of the abuse.
