Key facts
- Former Louisiana mayor Misty Roberts has been released from jail after serving a 90-day sentence.
- Roberts was convicted of raping a 16-year-old boy while she was in elected office.
- A judge rejected a prosecutor's request for a harsher sentence, admitting to a sentencing error.
- Roberts was mayor of DeRidder from 2018 until her resignation before her arrest in August 2024.
- She was required to register as a sex offender, pay $5,000 in fines, and undergo therapy.
Former Louisiana mayor Misty Roberts has completed a 90-day jail sentence for the rape of a 16-year-old boy. Roberts, 44, was released on the US Labor Day holiday, according to state corrections records. This followed a judicial decision where Judge Kent Savoie rejected a prosecutor's request for a harsher sentence, admitting he had erred by basing Roberts' original sentence on a list of cases resolved through plea deals, rather than her own jury trial conviction.
Roberts, who served as mayor of DeRidder since 2018, was convicted in March of carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with a minor. Prosecutors presented evidence that she sexually assaulted the underage victim at a pool party at her home in July 2024. She resigned from her mayoral post days before her arrest in August 2024.
The victim was a high school student and friend of Roberts' son. In addition to her three-month jail term, Roberts is required to register as a sex offender, pay $5,000 in fines, undergo regular drug screenings, and participate in psychotropic and psychological therapy. She also faces two concurrent five-year suspended prison sentences if she violates the terms of her release.
During her sentencing on June 9, Roberts reportedly told Judge Savoie, "I blame myself then, I blame myself today and I will blame myself for the rest of my life." She also apologized to the victim's family for the embarrassment caused by online comments. The victim's mother described Roberts as "a predator" and warned her to "stay the hell away from my family."