DeRidder, Louisiana trusted Misty Roberts with everything. They made her the first woman ever to be mayor. She won 76 percent of the vote. She led the city through two hurricanes.
Then she got drunk at her son's birthday party, had sex with his 16-year-old friend, and texted her own children to cover it up.
On June 9, a judge sentenced her to 90 days.
š Who She Was
Misty Roberts Clanton swept into office in 2018 at just 36 years old. She made history as DeRidder's first female mayor. Nearly four out of every five voters chose her.
She was there after Hurricane Laura ripped through the city in 2020. She was there after Delta hit. She pushed to rebuild downtown. She got grant money to restore a historic building. She built the city's first skatepark.
People trusted her. That is what makes what happened next so hard to accept.
š The Night Everything Fell Apart
On July 20, 2024, Roberts threw a birthday party at her home for her son, who was turning 15. There was heavy drinking. One of the guests was a 16-year-old boy, a friend of her son.
That night, Roberts had sex with the boy.
Witnesses took a photograph. It showed Roberts on top of the teenager.
After the party, someone ordered Plan B through DoorDash. It was delivered to Roberts' home.
Then Roberts fired off text messages to her own children and her nephew. She told them to say nothing.
"Lie 'til you die," she wrote.
āļø The Resignation and the Arrest
Five days later, Roberts told the city council she needed a two-week break. Within two days, that became a permanent resignation. Her letter talked about her "love and passion for DeRidder."
While she was writing that polished goodbye, Louisiana State Police investigators were already working the case. They were not there about city budgets.
A jury found Roberts guilty on March 3, 2026. She was convicted of two crimes. Carnal knowledge of a juvenile means an adult having sex with a minor. Indecent behavior with a juvenile was the second charge. Both are felonies. Both can carry up to 17 years in prison. Louisiana sets no minimum.
š¤ The Cover-Up and the Verdict
At trial, her defense team leaned hard on a mental health angle. An expert testified about the pressure Roberts was under. She had gone through a divorce. Her father was sick. Her fiance had died by suicide.
But prosecutors found a serious hole in that argument. The expert had written her report without ever seeing the photograph. She had never seen the "Lie 'til you die" texts either.
The jury took less than an hour to say guilty.
A DoorDash driver testified about the morning-after pill delivery. Prosecutors also noted sores on Roberts' mouth and accused her of drug use during the hearings.
She was moved to an outside jail facility because the local jail could not house her.
š” The Judge's Words Made People Furious
District Attorney James Lestage pushed for the full 17 years.
"We argued for the maximum sentences, which we feel are appropriate," Lestage said. "I don't think the sentence that was imposed reflects the severity of the crimes. It doesn't, in my opinion, represent the values of Beauregard Parish."
The judge, Kent Savoie, said he saw the crime as being committed by "two consenting parties." He noted that "nobody said 'no' or 'stop.'"
A sitting judge said that. About a drunk 16-year-old at his best friend's mom's house.
Roberts stood up in court and said: "What an embarrassment I've been to this city."
She got 90 days.
šļø The Victim's Mother Said What Everyone Was Thinking
The victim's mother stood before the court and said this:
"This act was not committed by a predator hiding in the shadows or a predator driving a van with a puppy inside. This was committed by a predator wearing hair extensions, high heels, Botox, and makeup."
She described a teenage boy who lost two years of high school to anxiety and depression. Strangers mocked him at baseball games. His life was turned upside down.
She also pointed out that Roberts had dragged her own children into court to testify. The same children she had once told to lie for her.
šµ Why This Case Matters
Predators do not look like predators. They get 76 percent of the vote. They lead cities. They host birthday parties for your kids.
This case is a warning. Alcohol at teen parties is not harmless. Power does not make someone trustworthy. And a judge who tells a community that a drunk 16-year-old "consented" sends a message too.
That boy lost years of his life. His mother had to beg for justice in open court.
She got 90 days.
