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Former DeRidder Mayor Sentenced to 90 Days After Conviction for Sex With 16‑Year‑Old

The judge imposed a short active jail term, suspended longer prison sentences and ordered therapy, testing and sex‑offender registration, a punishment that has drawn strong local criticism.

Overview

  • A Beauregard Parish jury convicted Misty Roberts in March of carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with a juvenile for a July 2024 encounter with her son’s 16‑year‑old friend.
  • On Tuesday the judge sentenced Roberts to 90 days in the parish jail, suspended concurrent five‑year prison terms, fined her $5,000 and ordered five years of supervised conditions including therapy, random drug and alcohol testing, and no contact with the victim’s family.
  • Trial evidence included testimony that the victim was intoxicated, recorded interviews from Roberts’ children, a photo taken by a teen showing the encounter, and delivery records for emergency contraception shown in court.
  • Prosecutors had urged the statutory maximum of 17 years, but the judge, who said he was moved by victim‑impact statements, declined to impose long active prison time, a decision that residents and media have called too lenient.
  • Roberts resigned from the DeRidder mayor’s office before her 2024 arrest and must register as a tier‑one sex offender; violation of probation conditions could trigger up to 10 years in prison and continued community fallout is expected.