A small-town Louisiana mayor who abruptly took a leave of absence before resigning on July 27 was arrested for allegedly raping a minor during her tenure, local police said.
Misty Roberts, the former mayor of DeRidder, Beauregard Parish, turned herself in on Thursday “without incident,” the Louisiana State Police (LSP) announced in a news release.
The 42-year-old woman had been under investigation since July when the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office requested the LSP Special Victim’s Unit (SVU) investigate a complaint regarding sexual relations with a juvenile.
Over the course of the investigation, SVU detectives interviewed two minors and identified one as the alleged victim.
“Both juveniles confirmed Roberts had sexual intercourse with one juvenile victim while employed as Mayor,” the LSP said.
The age of the alleged victim or how Roberts allegedly came into contact with him is unclear.
Roberts was booked into the Beauregard Parish Detention Center on charges of third-degree rape and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles but was released after just 77 minutes on a $75,000 bond, the New York Post reported of the jail records.
Roberts was serving her second term in office when she announced that she would take a two-week leave of absence on July 26, the same day the LSP launched its investigation, according to KPLC.
By the next day, she submitted a letter of resignation to the city council.
“For nearly 15 years, my love and passion for DeRidder has been my foundation while serving as Mayor,” Roberts wrote.
“This role has rewarded me with many great relationships. I am humbled to have witnessed the hard work that took a community to come together and overcome through unprecedented times. However, I must adjust my focus and priorities,” she added.
Roberts’ attorney, Adam Johnson, told the local outlet that his client is innocent.
“It is my honor to represent Misty Roberts. My client learned late last night of a warrant, despite not being contacted to be interviewed prior to investigators obtaining the warrant,” Johnson said in a statement. “My client maintains her innocence and, as it stands, she is in fact innocent.”
“We trust the public will respect her constitutional presumption of innocence which is fundamental to our system of justice,” he continued. “Misty and her family are very grateful for the support they have received from their friends and neighbors and we look forward to putting this unfortunate situation behind them.”
The Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office still has to formally accept Roberts’ resignation before City Council President Randy Larken can serve as DeRidder’s mayor pro tem until an election is held in March.
