Misty Roberts gets 90 days in parish jail after sex crimes conviction

Former DeRidder Mayor misty roberts was sentenced Tuesday to 90 days in the parish jail after being convicted of multiple sex crimes involving her son’s 16-year-old friend. Judge Kent Savoie also imposed five years of probation, a $5,000 fine and conditions that include no contact with the victim and his family.

Judge Kent Savoie

Savoie suspended five years in prison on each charge, meaning Roberts will avoid that prison term unless she violates probation. If she breaks any probation condition, she will serve 10 years in prison.

The judge also ordered Roberts to abstain from drugs and alcohol, submit to random drug screenings and pay monthly supervision fees. Before sentencing, he heard victim impact statements from the victim’s mother, two older sisters and cousin.

Victim impact statements

The family told the court the boy has struggled with panic attacks since the 2024 party, missed a lot of school and has prompted worries that he could harm himself. His mother called Roberts a child predator and told her, “The person responsible took many things from our family,” “She will not take our son’s future.” and “Stay the hell away from my family.”

Roberts told the court, “I have sat with the consequences of my actions for nearly two years,” and added, “I blamed myself that day,” and “I blame myself today, and I will blame myself for the rest of my life.”

Sentencing terms

State prosecutors asked for the maximum sentence of ten years for one charge and seven years for another. Roberts’ defense attorneys requested a suspended sentence.

Psychologist Sasha Joy Lambert testified that Roberts has a low risk of reoffending and would benefit from specialized, long-term treatment. Savoie said he did not believe Roberts took full responsibility, saying she told the children who witnessed the crimes to lie or be quiet and minimized her involvement.

He also said there was no evidence she used her influence as an elected official, but he found that she used her position as the sole adult present trusted with supervising the teens at the party. Savoie said he considered her lack of prior criminal history, her low risk for reoffending and sentences handed down by other judges in Beauregard Parish for similar crimes.