Misty Roberts, 43, the former mayor of DeRidder, Louisiana, is charged with third-degree rape and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles during gathering at her home in 2024

The defendant’s son claimed he caught his mother having sex with his 16-year-old friend at his birthday late-night pool party where teenagers were drinking alcohol supplied by his mom

Her daughter told investigators she saw her mother and the teen making out at the poolside, ‘on top of each other’

Roberts pled not guilty appearing in court a second time on Saturday, after an earlier trial ended in a mistrial

Roberts’ ex-husband, Duncan Clanton, testified that she confessed to him directly that she had sex with the teen boy, that their children had caught them in the act

After alleged encounter, teen’s mother texted Roberts to ensure she was not pregnant, who responded that she was on birth control, later sharing a screenshot of that exchange in a group chat, suggesting she would also take Plan B

DoorDash driver testified that he accepted a request from ‘Misty C’ to purchase emergency contraception and leave it at the front door, that he recognized because he’d previously taken his children trick-or-treating there

Roberts who was in the middle of her second term as mayor resigned days before her 2024 arrest

Bond conditions initially limited her contact with her children without Clanton’s permission and revoked child support

Misty Roberts [photo], is charged with third-degree rape and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles after allegedly having sex with her son’s teenage friend two years ago, At the time she was mayor of  DeRidder, in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana

The son of a former small-town mayor allegedly had sex with her son’s 16-year-old friend at a late-night pool party where teenagers were drinking.
Misty Roberts the former mayor of DeRidder, Louisiana, last week pled not guilty to charges of third-degree rape and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles.
The charges stem from events that unfolded during a 2024 gathering at her home. The defendant’s son told investigators in an interview played for jurors that he saw his mom having sex with his friend through a crack in a window. The boy and his friends were celebrating his birthday at their house, swimming and drinking alcohol his mother provided.
At the time Mayor Misty Roberts had been divorced from Duncan Clanton with whom she shared a son and a daughter, both teenagers. She’d also just been through an abusive relationship, which ended with her partner taking his own life, a few months earlier.
The 43-year-old politician was appearing in her second trial on the same set of allegations, after two Beauregard Parish judges involved in earlier grand jury proceedings were removed, leading to the original indictments being dismissed. Roberts was later re-indicted and arraigned on the current charges

In a courtroom twist the stand, her son later testified he was ‘not certain that was what he saw’. In another recorded interview Roberts’ daughter also said she saw her mother and the teen ‘on top of each other’

Jurors heard testimony from her children, her ex-husband, a longtime friend, a DoorDash driver and multiple teenagers who attended the night time pool party, two years ago.
A recording of her son’s interview with investigators last year was played in the courtroom. In the full 2025 forensic interview, jurors heard the teen state he saw his mother having sex with his friend through a crack in a window. 
However, put on the stand, he testimony wavered. He was uncertain about what he saw, told the court.
Text messages exchanged between mother and son were tendered in court. In one text he warns his mother, ‘He is seventeen.’ Authorities have said the alleged 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.

Mayor Misty Clanton, nee Roberts was married and mother to a teen son and daughter. Jurors heard a recorded 2025 interview in which her own son said he saw her having sex with his friend through a crack in a window. The daughter’s testimony alluded to some form of intimate contact

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. While one juvenile witness said the boy was shirtless, none of testified to seeing ‘private parts.’
According to prosecutors, after the alleged encounter, the teen’s mother texted Roberts to ensure she was not pregnant, to which she responded 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 testified that he accepted a request from ‘Misty C’ to purchase emergency contraception and leave it at the front door, clarifying that he recognized the house because he had taken his children trick-or-treating there in the past. 
A few days after the delivery, Roberts was arrested and accused of having sex with a teen boy.

In 2024, Misty Roberts [right], was in the middle of her second term as the municipality’s mayor, winning reelection with sixty percent of the vote in 2022, when she was arrested and charged with carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with a juvenile

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.
On Saturday, Roberts’ ex-husband, Duncan Clanton, told jurors she confessed to him directly that admitted she had sex with the teenage boy and that their children had caught them in the act. .

Roberts [photo], 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

Judge Kent Savoie of the Third Circuit, is acting as an ad hoc district judge for the case because of the recusals of the other district judges. He declared a mistrial in January before a jury was seated after an appeals court threw out one of the felony charges against Roberts. However, she was re-indicted on both charges earlier in February.
Duncan Clanton testified that his ex 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 she told him.
He testified that Roberts’ daughter came into her son’s room that night and told a group of kids that she saw Roberts and the minor making out by the pool.
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 of DeRidder days before her 2024 arrest. Bond conditions initially limited her contact with her children without Clanton’s permission and revoked child support.
The trial continues.