This photo provided by Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office in DeRidder, La., shows Misty Clanton Roberts, who abruptly resigned as the town’s mayor on July 27, 2024, and was arrested on charges of rape involving a minor on Thursday, Aug. 1. (Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office via AP)
Police have arrested 42-year-old Misty Clanton Roberts, over alleged sexual abuse of an underaged.
Roberts, who abruptly resigned her mayoral seat in a small southwest Louisiana city, U.S. a week ago, was arrested on Thursday on charges of third-degree rape and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
Louisiana State Police, which confirmed the arrest of Roberts, said that she had been released from the Beauregard Parish jail after posting $75,000 bond.
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Though it was not immediately known if an arraignment had been scheduled, AP reported that Sgt. Ross Brennan, a state police spokesman, said the alleged juvenile victim and another juvenile told the state police’s Special Victims Unit that Roberts had sex with the juvenile while Roberts was mayor of DeRidder, a city of about 10,000 people located about 50 miles (80.47 kilometers) north of Lake Charles.
Brennan however did not provide details of the alleged victims’ age, gender or hometown.
Roberts’ arrest came less than a week after she abruptly resigned.
She submitted a letter of resignation to the city council on July 27 after previously telling Council Clerk Glenna Luther, also in a letter, that she was taking an unplanned two-week leave and had appointed Fire Chief Ken Harlow as acting mayor in her absence.
Adam Johnson, Roberts’ attorney, in a statement to KPLC-TV, said that his client was innocent.
“She has not been charged with a crime and/or convicted of any crime,” Johnson said.
“And we trust the public will respect her constitutional presumption of innocence which is fundamental to our system of justice. Misty and her family are very grateful for the support they have received from their friends and neighbours 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 reelection in 2022.
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