Former DeRidder mayor Misty Roberts was convicted of sexual crimes involving a 16-year-old and received a short jail term plus probation and fines, with the case drawing sharp reactions from the victim’s family and the community.
A judge in Beauregard Parish sentenced Misty Roberts, the former mayor of DeRidder, Louisiana, to 90 days behind bars after a jury found her guilty on two felony counts related to sex with a minor. The conviction came in March and involved charges of carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with a juvenile. Roberts was 43 at the time of the incident and is listed as 44 at sentencing.
Prosecutors had asked for the full statutory maximum of 17 years, but the judge opted for a much lighter package: a suspended longer sentence, a $5,000 fine, and five years of supervised probation in addition to the three-month jail term. The court also ordered psychological counseling, random drug and alcohol testing, and mandatory supervision fees. Roberts must stay away from the victim and his family and will remain on the sex offender registry.
The incident unfolded at a birthday party Roberts hosted for her son at her home, where testimony says she provided alcohol to several teenagers who attended, including her son and nephew. Witnesses described a pattern of flirtation that night: dancing, kissing, and Roberts actively engaging with the 16-year-old victim in front of other partygoers. Those behaviors set the stage for what followed upstairs in the house.
Court testimony says Roberts led the boy to an upstairs game room, and while both were intoxicated she had sex with him. Her own son reportedly walked upstairs and observed his mother straddling his friend, and at least two other teens say they saw part of the encounter through window blinds. The witnesses’ accounts played a central role in the jury’s quick deliberation and conviction.
Tensions at home escalated after the encounter, with Roberts getting into an argument with her son in the days that followed. A DoorDash delivery driver reportedly brought Plan B emergency contraception to the house, and Roberts later acknowledged the sexual encounter to her ex-husband.
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The trial lasted five days in early 2026 and a six-person jury convicted Roberts after less than an hour of deliberation. At the sentencing hearing the child’s mother confronted the former mayor and called her a “predator with hair extensions, high heels, Botox, and other modifications.” That line underscored the anger and stigma the family expressed throughout the process.
Roberts delivered an apology from the defendant’s chair that addressed both the city and the family involved. “What an embarrassment I’ve been to this city,” she said. “To the [victim’s] family, I am sorry. I can’t give back the high school days… I can’t take away the embarrassment that so many mean people on the internet have put them through.” The apology was acknowledged in court but did not change the penalties imposed by the judge.
Locals and observers described the sentence as light given the seriousness of the crimes, and critics pointed to the suspended portion of the longer sentence as evidence the justice system can still produce outcomes that feel inadequate to victims. Supporters of tougher penalties argued the prosecution’s push for a much longer sentence reflected how the law views an adult’s sexual contact with a minor, while the judge’s decision signaled an emphasis on rehabilitation and supervision over lengthy incarceration.
Beyond jail time and fines, the practical consequences for Roberts will likely be long lasting: registration as a sex offender, mandated therapy, and the limitations that come with probation and court-ordered restrictions. Those requirements are designed to monitor behavior and reduce risk, but they also reshape daily life, employment opportunities, and community standing. The case will remain a point of debate locally about accountability, punishment, and the appropriate legal response to adult-minor sexual misconduct.
