Just days after announcing his sudden resignation, a Louisiana mayor has been indicted on charges of raping a minor.
According to the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office, Misty Dawn Clanton Roberts, 42, a former DeRidder mayor, was arrested Thursday and booked into the Beauregard Parish Jail at 10:13 a.m. and released 77 minutes later on $75,000 bail. Prison Roster.
“My client maintains his innocence and, as things stand, is in fact innocent.”
Louisiana State Police said Roberts was charged with third-degree rape and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. news release.
Roberts became the first female mayor of DeRidder, a city of about 10,000 people about 20 miles east of the Louisiana-Texas border, in 2018. She was up for reelection in 2022 for a second term. Newsweek Roberts reportedly is an independent.
On July 26, Mayor Roberts announced that he would be stepping down from his duties for two days and that he had appointed DeRidder Fire Chief Ken Harlow as interim mayor. The next day, Mayor Roberts resigned. KPLC Television.
“For nearly 15 years, my love and passion for DeRidder has been the foundation of my tenure as mayor,” Roberts wrote in his resignation letter to the City Council.
“This role has allowed me to develop many great relationships,” Roberts continued, “and I’ve been honored to witness how our community has come together and worked so hard to get through these unprecedented times. But I have had to adjust my focus and priorities.”
Also on July 26, the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office requested the Louisiana State Police Special Victims Unit investigate a complaint regarding an alleged sexual relationship between Roberts and a minor.
Investigators interviewed two minors regarding the child sexual abuse allegations. One of the minors interviewed was the alleged victim. Both minors told police that the alleged victim had sex with Roberts while he was Mayor of DeRidder.
Police obtained an arrest warrant for Roberts from the 36th Judicial District Court in Beauregard Parish.
Roberts’ lawyer, Adam Johnson, declared his client innocent.
“My client only found out about the warrant late last night, even though he had not been contacted to be interviewed prior to investigators obtaining the warrant,” Johnson said in a statement. WAFB Television“My client maintains his innocence and, as things stand, is in fact innocent.”
Johnson added, “We believe the public will respect the constitutional presumption of innocence, which is a cornerstone of our justice system. Misty and her family are extremely grateful for the support they have received from friends and neighbors, and they look forward to moving forward to moving forward beyond this unfortunate situation.”
Roberts Information page The article on the City of DeRidder’s website has been removed. Archived version The page states Roberts is a former director and supporting member of the Greater Beauregard Chamber of Commerce, a board member for Hope Village, a trustee for Agape Community Clinic, a director for the Beauregard Prevention Coalition, a director for the DeRidder Rotary Club and a member of the Fort Polk Progress board of directors.
of Ranyap “The past few years have been difficult for her, having had to weather two hurricanes, a freeze, a fire, a divorce and loss,” local media reported in a May article. DeRidder’s archive page notes that Roberts married in 2008.
Roberts said of her divorce, “Contrary to what some have said, there was nothing salacious about it. It was a personal decision and going through it publicly has changed me. I’m far from a feminist, but this experience has taught me that there are people who expect women to be perfect – to look and act a certain way.”
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