She wore a skimpy orange bikini, flirted with a drunk teenager at her pool party, and allegedly lured him into a secret room. Now, former Louisiana mayor Misty Roberts is a free woman after serving just 90 days behind bars.
The 43-year-old ex-leader of DeRidder was released Monday, according to KALB, a week after a judge refused prosecutors’ request to revisit her sentence. The courtroom had erupted in outrage back in June when Judge Kent Savoie handed down what locals called a slap on the wrist.
Prosecutors had pushed for the maximum 17 years. Instead, Roberts got 90 days in jail, a $5,000 fine, and two five-year suspended sentences for carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with a juvenile, both involving her 16-year-old victim. She was convicted by a jury.
“A slap on the wrist for a child predator,” DeRidder native Kari McGee told the station in June. “When it comes to children, we should use the fullest extent of the law.”
The disturbing details emerged at trial. According to court documents and witness testimony, the July 2024 pool party was fueled by alcohol. Roberts, then mayor, allegedly wore a revealing bikini and openly flirted with the teen before taking him to a bonus room in her home, stripping down, and having 𝒔𝒆𝒙 with him.
The victim’s mother delivered a devastating statement in court. “You thought so much of yourself in that bikini that night, you knew exactly what you were doing with his mind. He was 16,” she said.
“What hurt almost as much as the initial betrayal was the attempt to shift the blame onto a 16-year-old boy from a 42-year-old woman.”
Even her own children testified against her. Roberts’ teenage son reportedly snapped a photo of the boy on top of his mother and told the jury he saw them through a crack in a window. Her daughter also claimed she saw Roberts and the teen “on top of each other.”
The former mayor’s best friend and sister-in-law, Jill Weaver, testified that she heard Roberts’ son screaming that his mom “effed” his best friend. A DoorDash driver told the court they delivered Plan B emergency contraception to Roberts’ home the day after the party. Text messages reportedly showed the victim’s mom frantically asking Roberts about possible pregnancy.
Roberts resigned as mayor of the town of 9,800 just days before her arrest in 2024.
Now back on the street after a sentence many call shockingly light, the question remains—will this case spark any changes in how the justice system handles predators in positions of power?
