A disgraced Louisiana mayor wept uncontrollably today as she was convicted of romping with her son’s underage friend at a boozy pool party.
Misty Roberts, 43, dabbed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief as jurors took less than an hour to find her guilty of indecent behavior and carnal knowledge of a minor.
The petite blonde mom-of-two was warned she faces up to 17 years behind bars when she reports for sentencing next month.
Roberts, the once-influential mayor of the tiny western Louisiana town of Deridder, will also be required to register as a sex offender.
She refused to comment as she left Beauregard district court early this evening on a $100,000 bond and hopped into her smart BMW.
A week-long trial heard how the glamorous divorcee drank to excess before making out with her teen son’s 16-year-old friend at a 2024 party at her home.
In closing arguments, defense attorney Adam Johnson admitted that a snatched photo of a bikini-clad Roberts straddling the victim in a locked bedroom was a ‘real bad look’.
Misty Roberts, 43, the former mayor of DeRidder, Louisiana, was found guilty of third-degree rape at trial on Tuesday
On the stand, her son later testified he was not certain that was what he saw. Roberts’ daughter said in a recorded interview she saw her mother and the teen ‘on top of each other.’
‘It would not have happened without alcohol. Trying to be the cool parent in a divorce is stupid,’ Johnson conceded, referring to his client’s 2022 split from her ex-husband, Duncan Clanton.
But he argued that cops had failed to prove that a sex crime happened or properly scrutinize differing accounts from various youths who claimed to have witnessed the tryst.
Prosecutor Charles Robinson put the photo of Roberts sitting astride the boy on the big screen for the six-man jury to consider before they retired to deliberate – describing it as ‘lewd and lascivious.’
A little under an hour later Roberts, wearing a white and black striped sweater, black pants and designer heels, bowed her head as they delivered their verdict.
Robinson asked Judge Kerry Anderson to remand Roberts in custody ahead of sentencing but he agreed to let her out on bond.
‘I’m not concerned she’s a flight risk,’ he told the court. ‘She has family and children here.’
This was her second trial after a previous case ended in a mistrial due to judicial issues in Beauregard Parish.
Last week, jurors got to hear from Roberts’ own children, her ex-husband, a longtime friend, a DoorDash driver and several teenagers who were present on the night of the pool party.
Misty Roberts, 43, is seen alongside her estranged husband Duncan Clanton, 43, and two kids
The victim took to the stand to tell the jury that he had been drunk when he and Roberts had sex.
Roberts’ own two children and her nephew also testified how they saw her and the teen together – although they were unable to say whether the pair had sex.
One of the most emotional moments in the trial came as jurors watched an interview of Roberts’ son, recorded last year.
In the courtroom, prosecutors played the full 2025 forensic interview for the jury, during which Roberts’ son said he saw his mother having sex with his friend through a crack in a window.
But when he took to the stand in person, he told jurors he was uncertain about what he saw.
Text messages between mother and son were displayed in court. In one, he warned her, ‘He is seventeen.’ Authorities have said the victim was 16 at the time.
Other texts shown to jurors included exchanges about what alcohol the teens wanted for the party.
Messages from that night also showed the son telling his mother that what was happening was ‘crazy’ and that his younger sister was crying.
Roberts’ daughter also testified, as prosecutors played her interview with investigators. In it, she said she saw her mother and the teenage boy ‘on top of each other’ that night.
Jurors were shown a recorded 2025 interview in which her own son said he saw her having sex with his friend through a crack in a window
Clanton was in the middle of her second term as the municipality’s mayor, winning reelection with sixty percent of the vote in 2022
None of the young witnesses testified to seeing ‘private parts,’ according to testimony. One said the boy was shirtless.
Jurors were also shown photographs from the party, including images of minors holding drinks near the pool.
Prosecutors described one image of Roberts in a bikini standing near the teen – who appeared to be smiling and looking up at her – as ‘lewd.’
Most of their bodies were not visible in the photograph.
The court also heard that after the alleged encounter, the teen’s mother texted Roberts to ensure she was not pregnant.
Prosecutors said Roberts replied that she was on birth control and later shared a screenshot of that exchange in a group chat, suggesting she would also take Plan B.
A DoorDash driver also testified that he accepted a request from ‘Misty C’ to purchase emergency contraception and leave it at Roberts’ front door.
He told jurors he recognized the house because he had taken his children trick-or-treating there in the past.
In the days that followed, he said he heard rumors about the allegations and believed the delivery he has made was connected to that night.
Roberts’ nephew testified that he tried to see what was happening in the room by using his phone’s camera.
He said he was unsure whether he pressed ‘record,’ but if he did, he never sent any video to anyone.
He acknowledged clearing his Snapchat memories before turning over his phone to investigators, explaining that he had photos of himself and friends drinking and was worried about getting in trouble. He testified that he did not intend to delete evidence.
Defense attorneys suggested that part of Roberts’ son’s recorded interview was not properly transcribed.
A teenage member of the alleged victim’s friend group also testified that the boy appeared drunk and vomited that night. He said Roberts was ‘talkative and dancing’ and that he saw her flirting with the teen.
He told jurors he later saw Roberts and the boy having sex through a crack in a window. After they came downstairs, he described yelling and a major argument.
He also testified that he was told he could not leave by two adults, Jill Weaver and Roberts.
Roberts was further grilled by her alleged victim’s mom after the incident.
‘So no protection? Are you on birth control, have you had tubal, hysterectomy??’, the boy’s mother asked, according to the court papers.
‘Birth control. But, it also didn’t reach that point in those few minutes to have that concern. I understand the concern, but I can assure you of that’, Roberts allegedly said. She has pleaded not guilty to the third-degree rape charge she is currently on trial for.
A criminal complaint seen by the Daily Mail alleges that Roberts ‘pressed her butt up against (her alleged victim) while taking a photograph of him.’
‘She made statements about being attracted to (the boy), she put her hand on the bare torso area of (the boy) while making said comments to him, she kissed (the boy) in the backyard/pool area, she told (the boy), “We can’t do this here.’
The court papers allege Roberts then followed the boy into the ‘bonus room’ of her home, locked its doors, lay down on the couch with the boy and kissed him.
‘She exposed her breasts while kissing (the boy) in the locked bonus room,’ the court papers continued. ‘She asked (him) why he chose her to have sexual intercourse with.
‘She sat on top of (the boy) on the couch in the bonus room as depicted in the photograph taken by the defendant’s son,’ the papers said.
Roberts also texted her ex-husband, identified as Duncan Clanton, the papers said.
‘I need to talk to you’, Roberts said, followed by: ‘I just need to tell you in person.’
She continued: ‘I f***** up. And I respect you enough to tell you. And I need to.’ Clanton’s replies were kept out of the court papers.
On the same day, and the day after, Roberts also sent a number of texts to a juvenile who witnessed the alleged incident anonymized with the initials as ‘HR’, according to the court papers.
She said: ‘I love you and I am so sorry. I cannot even believe it. I am sick. That shouldn’t happen.
‘I really hope this doesn’t blow up even worse. I’m scared to death. Please make sure he doesn’t say anything please. I am truly sorry.’
The juvenile’s responses were also kept out of court papers, to one reply Roberts said: ‘I’m ok. Duncan [Clanton] just left again.
‘We talked through more stuff. He is worried about you all. Anything new talk? All quiet?’
On Saturday, Roberts’ ex-husband, Duncan Clanton, told jurors she confessed to him directly.
Roberts resigned as mayor days before her 2024 arrest. Bond conditions initially limited her contact with her children without her ex-husband Duncan Clanton’s permission and revoked child support
Clanton testified that Roberts admitted she had sex with the teenage boy and that their children had caught them in the act.
After speaking with her privately, he said he spoke with their son, who confirmed what Roberts had told him.
Jurors saw text messages between the former couple. On the day of a city council meeting, Clanton wrote to Roberts, ‘I would deny what happened if you’re approached by anyone at the meeting.’
He also testified that Roberts texted him, ‘I need you to deny it, please.’
In another message shown to the jury, Roberts wrote, ‘I can’t keep hurting others, friends and family. Lord knows I’ve done enough.’
Clanton said he would not lie about the incident, though he had avoided discussing it.
During cross-examination, defense attorney Todd Clemmons asked whether he agreed Roberts was a great mom. Clanton responded, ‘No.’
He later testified he had previously told her she was a great mom because she was in a bad mental place and he was worried about her.
Roberts resigned as mayor days before her 2024 arrest. Bond conditions initially limited her contact with her children without Clanton’s permission and revoked child support.
