A former Louisiana mayor who resigned just days ago was detained on Thursday on allegations of having sex with a juvenile, police said.
Misty Roberts, 42, was booked into the Beauregard Parish Detention Center on charges of third-degree rape and contributing to juvenile delinquency, according to a Louisiana State Police news release issued Thursday.
According to authorities, the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office asked that the state police’s Special Victims Unit investigate a complaint against Roberts alleging sexual relations with a juvenile on Friday.
Investigators interviewed two kids, one of whom was the suspected victim, and they both “confirmed Roberts had sexual intercourse with one juvenile victim while employed as Mayor,” according to police. Robert Johnson, Roberts’ attorney, issued a statement claiming his client’s innocence.
“My client learned late last night of a warrant, despite not being contacted to be interviewed before investigators obtained the warrant,” Johnson told me. “My client maintains her innocence, and she is currently innocent. “She has not been charged or convicted of any crime.”
Roberts first stated on Friday that she would need to leave the workplace for two weeks, but then quit the next day.
“For nearly 15 years, my love and passion for DeRidder has been my foundation while serving as Mayor,” Roberts stated in a letter. “This role has provided me with numerous positive relationships. I am humbled to have watched the hard work required for a community to come together and overcome tremendous challenges. However, I must shift my emphasis and priorities.
Police said the former mayor turned herself into detectives without incident on Thursday.
Roberts was arrested at 10:13 a.m. and released at 11:30 a.m. on a $75,000 bond, according to Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office records.
According to the city’s website, Roberts graduated from DeRidder High School in 2000 and earned a Bachelor of Science in mass communications with a focus on public relations from McNeese State University in 2004. Before becoming mayor, she served as the city’s director of community service for nine years.
DeRidder, which has a population of roughly 10,000, is located approximately 50 miles north of Lake Charles, Louisiana, near the Texas border