DeRidder Former Mayor Convicted of Statutory Rape of 16-Year-Old Boy

Misty Roberts, the former mayor of DeRidder, Louisiana, has been convicted of raping a 16-year-old boy at a 2024 pool party while she was in office. She faces up to 10 and seven years in prison for statutory rape and indecent behavior with a minor. The trial revealed that both were heavily intoxicated, and Roberts attempted to cover up the crime by instructing her children to lie. She resigned shortly after the investigation began and made history as DeRidder’s first female mayor in 2018. Her sentencing is scheduled for April 17, and the city has since elected its first Black mayor.

The former mayor of a Louisiana city has been convicted of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy during a party at her residence while she was still serving in office. Misty Roberts, 43, now faces potential prison sentences of up to ten years and seven years following a jury verdict in DeRidder on Tuesday, which found her guilty of two serious felony charges: carnal knowledge of a juvenile, commonly referred to as statutory rape, and indecent behavior with a minor.
The jury reached its decision after deliberating for less than an hour at the end of a seven-day trial. Throughout the proceedings, witnesses testified about the circumstances of the assault, describing how Roberts sexually abused the underage boy while both parties had consumed excessive amounts of alcohol at a pool party in July 2024, which took place at her home during her second term as DeRidder’s mayor. On the final day of the trial, the victim provided a detailed account, explaining that, despite being so intoxicated he vomited, Roberts “flirted” with him by the pool before initiating physical contact and kissing him. According to reports from the local news outlet KPLC, the victim further testified that she eventually led him upstairs and raped him.
Several members of Roberts’s family, including her two children and a nephew, testified that they had seen her and the victim together at the party, although they did not witness the assault itself. The victim recounted overhearing Roberts in a heated exchange with her son, during which she allegedly shouted, “Go fight your friend – he’s the one who did it,” as reported by KPLC. A delivery driver working for DoorDash also testified that he had delivered the emergency contraceptive Plan B to Roberts’s home in the aftermath of the incident. The testimony revealed that Roberts instructed her children and nephew to conceal what they had seen, even sending a text message to one of them that read: “Lie ‘til you die.”
Roberts’s ex-husband, Duncan Clanton, testified that she admitted the crime to him directly and acknowledged that their children had witnessed aspects of the incident. A criminal complaint, later filed as part of the case and reported by the Daily Mail, cited text messages Roberts sent to Clanton, including one that stated, “I fucked up. And I respect you enough to tell you.” Another message mentioned during the trial read: “I can’t keep hurting others, friends and family. Lord knows I’ve done enough.” Her sentencing is currently scheduled for April 17.
Roberts resigned from her position as mayor of DeRidder one day after authorities launched an investigation into the complaint of rape, though her resignation letter made no reference to the ongoing investigation. She was later released on $75,000 bail and awaited trial outside of custody. Her political career had been historic: in 2018, she became the first woman ever elected as mayor of DeRidder, securing a second four-year term in 2022.
In May 2024, Roberts spoke publicly to the Louisiana news outlet Best of SWLA, describing the difficulties she had endured during her tenure. She referenced challenges including two devastating hurricanes, a divorce, and the loss of a close personal connection, stating, “I’ve never been able to just be … mayor.” At that time, she had also expressed intentions to run for a third mayoral term in an upcoming primary election scheduled for May.
DeRidder, a small city of approximately 10,000 residents located just east of the Louisiana-Texas border, subsequently elected its first Black mayor, Michael D. Harris, following Roberts’s resignation.
For those affected by child abuse, various support resources are available. In the United States, individuals can call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline at 800-422-4453 or visit their website to report abuse. Adult survivors can access support at ascasupport.org. In the United Kingdom, children can contact the NSPCC on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child can call 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) provides support to adult survivors at 0808 801 0331. In Australia, children, young adults, parents, and teachers can reach the Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or Bravehearts at 1800 272 831, while adult survivors may seek help through the Blue Knot Foundation at 1300 657 380. Additional global support resources can be found via Child Helplines International.