A former Louisiana mayor, Misty Roberts, has completed her 90-day jail sentence for raping a 16-year-old boy while still in office. The 44-year-old was convicted of statutory rape and indecent behavior with a minor after a jury trial in March. Judge Kent Savoie rejected prosecutors' request to increase the sentence, saying he would not punish Roberts for exercising her right to stand trial. After serving her sentence, Roberts must register as a sex offender and undergo therapy, among other conditions.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
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Story summary
Misty Roberts, a 44-year-old former Louisiana mayor, has completed a 90-day jail sentence for raping a 16-year-old boy while still in office. She finished serving her sentence on Monday, Labor Day holiday, after a judge rejected a request to impose a harsher punishment. The judge, Kent Savoie, had previously acknowledged that he made a mistake by not considering the case as a plea deal, which would have resulted in a lighter sentence. However, Savoie declined to punish Roberts for choosing to go to trial instead of pleading guilty. This decision sparked controversy, given the severity of the crime and the fact that Roberts was still in office when she committed it.
Written for “Former Mayor's Rape Sentence” on 2026-09-07,
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Leaning score +0.35 for article 6802 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-07
The former Louisiana mayor Misty Roberts has completed the 90-day jail sentence she received for raping a 16-year-old boy while still in elected office and been released from custody, according to state corrections records.
uncertain
she → complete → records
The 44-year-old finished her jail term on Monday, the Labor Day holiday in the US, one week after the judge who presided over her case rejected a request from prosecutors to force her to serve a harsher sentence.
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who → finish → sentence
Judge Kent Savoie based Roberts’ sentence on a list of more than 30 cases that were resolved through plea deals, unlike her prosecution, which culminated in a jury trial and guilty verdict, Louisiana news station KPLC reported.
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KPLC → base → trial
The judge recently had acknowledged publicly that this was a mistake.
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this → acknowledge → ?
“I asked someone to get me a list of cases similar,” the judge said at a 31 August court hearing, according to KPLC.
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judge → ask → KPLC
“I made an assumption, and that assumption was wrong.
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assumption → make → assumption
Nonetheless, the outlet reported, Savoie indicated that he would not punish Roberts for exercising her right to stand trial rather than plead guilty first.
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he → report → trial
Roberts was facing up to 17 years in prison after jurors in early March convicted her of carnal knowledge of a juvenile – colloquially known as statutory rape – and indecent behavior with a minor.
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jurors → face → minor
Prosecutors established that she sexually assaulted the underage victim while they drank alcohol at a pool partyat her home in July 2024.
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they → establish → July
Roberts was mayor of the city of DeRidder at the time of the crime, having held the post since 2018.
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Roberts → hold → 2018
She resigned days before authorities arrested her in early August 2024.
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authorities → resign → August
Roberts’ three-month jail sentence stirred controversy in DeRidder and beyond for its brevity.
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sentence → stir → brevity
DeRidder resident Kari McGee told local television news outlet KALB, “When it comes to children, we should use the fullest extent of the law.
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we → tell → law
There are no excuses when it comes to our children.”
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it → be → children
Another DeRidder resident, Ryan Clark, said to KALB that Roberts’ short sentence was “an insult”.
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sentence → say → KALB
Roberts was also required to register as a sex offender, pay $5,000 in fines, submit to regular drug screenings and undergo psychotropic as well as psychological therapy after her release from custody.
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Roberts → require → custody
She would have to serve two suspended five-year prison sentences concurrently if she violates her release conditions, too.
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she → have → conditions
Roberts addressed Savoie at her sentencing on 9 June by saying, according to KPLC, “I blame myself then, I blame myself today and I will blame myself for the rest of my life.
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I → address → life
I let a lot of people down, and I am the only person responsible for that.”
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I → let → that
She also reportedly apologized to the family of her victim, saying: “I can’t give back the high school days …
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I → apologize → days
I can’t take away the embarrassment that so many mean people on the internet have put them through.”
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people → take → them
The victim’s mother provided an impact statement in which she called Roberts “a predator with hair extensions, high heels [and] Botox”.
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she → provide → extensions
“Stay the hell away from my family,” the victim’s mother was reported to have told Roberts.
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mother → stay → Roberts
