A woman who abruptly resigned her mayoral seat in a small town in southwest Louisiana a week ago is now facing a charge of raping a minor.
Louisiana State Police arrested Misty Clanton Roberts, 42, on Thursday on charges of third-degree rape and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. She was released from the Beauregard Parish Jail after posting a $75,000 bond, news outlets reported.
It was not immediately known whether charges had been laid.
State Police spokesman Sgt. Ross Brennan said the alleged teen victim and another teen told the state police Special Victims Unit that Roberts had sex with the teen when Roberts was mayor of DeRidder. DeRidder, a city of about 10,000 people, is located about 50 miles (80.47 kilometers) north of Lake Charles. Brennan did not provide information about the alleged victims’ ages, genders or hometowns.
Roberts’ arrest comes less than a week after her sudden resignation. She submitted a letter of resignation to the City Council on July 27, before also notifying Council Clerk Glenna Luther in a letter that she was taking two weeks of unplanned leave and had appointed Fire Chief Ken Harlow as acting mayor in her absence.
Roberts’ attorney, Adam Johnson, said in a statement to KPLC-TV that his client is innocent.
“She has not been charged with and/or convicted of any crime,” Johnson said. “And we trust the public will respect her constitutional presumption of innocence that is fundamental to our justice system. 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.”
Roberts, an independent, became the first woman to hold the office of mayor of DeRidder in 2018. She was serving her second term after winning re-election in 2022.