Ex-mayor Misty Roberts gets 90 days in jail after juvenile sex conviction
Roberts was convicted in March of two felony counts involving sexual conduct with a 16-year-old boy
A former small-town mayor in Louisiana has been handed a 90-day custodial sentence after a jury earlier this year found her guilty of sexual offences against a 16-year-old boy.
Sentencing and conditions of release
Misty Roberts, 44, was sentenced on 9 June, months after being convicted in March on two felony charges: carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behaviour with a juvenile. She had faced a maximum term of 17 years in prison, according to KPLC, The Guardian and the Louisiana Radio Network.
Beyond the custodial term, Roberts was ordered to register as a sex offender, pay a $5,000 fine, and submit to regular drug screenings and psychological therapy following her release. She also received two five-year suspended sentences, to run concurrently, per the outlets.
Victim's mother addresses the court
During the hearing, the victim's mother described Roberts in stark terms, calling her a "predator with hair extensions, high heels, Botox, and other modifications." She went on to tell the court that the impact on her son had endured long beyond the incident and the trial itself.
"Every social event carried questions no teenager should have to ask … Half of his high school experience was taken from him."
Roberts apologises before sentencing
Roberts also addressed the court before Judge Kent Savoie handed down the sentence, accepting full responsibility for her actions.
"I blame myself then, I blame myself today, and I will blame myself for the rest of my life … I let a lot of people down, and I am the only person responsible for that."
She also offered an apology directly to the victim's family. Prosecutors had urged Judge Savoie to impose the maximum sentence, arguing that no leniency was warranted. Savoie noted that Roberts had no prior criminal history before delivering his decision, according to the Louisiana Radio Network. Roberts' legal team had sought a new trial less than a fortnight before sentencing, citing alleged inconsistencies in the victim's testimony, but Savoie rejected that application, per KPLC.
What happened at the pool party
The case centres on a pool party held at Roberts' home in DeRidder in July 2024, at which point she was serving as the town's mayor, as PEOPLE previously reported. During the weeklong trial, the teenage victim testified that Roberts flirted with him poolside before kissing him and subsequently taking him upstairs. He told jurors he had consumed a significant amount of alcohol that evening and vomited.
The jury also heard evidence that a close associate of Roberts had told teenage witnesses to "lie till you die." A DoorDash driver testified that he had delivered emergency contraceptive Plan B to Roberts' home following the encounter.
Resignation and family context
Roberts stepped down as mayor just days before her arrest in 2024. Her conviction follows a separate case involving her brother, Brandon Lee Roberts, who was sentenced to prison on unrelated child sex abuse charges, as PEOPLE previously reported.
