After resigning from office, a former Louisiana mayor faces allegations that she had “sexual relations with a juvenile.”

Former DeRidder Mayor Misty Roberts, 42, was arrested and charged with third-degree rape and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles.

“On July 26, 2024, the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office requested the Louisiana State Police Special Victim’s Unit (LSP SVU) to investigate a complaint against the former Mayor of DeRidder for allegations of sexual relations with a juvenile. The investigation resulted in the arrest of 42-year-old Misty Roberts,” Louisiana State Police announced.

“As the investigation progressed, LSP SVU conducted interviews with two juveniles, one of which was the victim. Both juveniles confirmed Roberts had sexual intercourse with one juvenile victim while employed as Mayor. Investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Roberts from the Beauregard Parish 36th Judicial District Court,” it continued.

JUST IN: Louisiana mayor Misty Roberts Clanton, who suddenly announced her resignation last week, has been charged with child r*pe.

The 42-year-old was the mayor of DeRidder before suddenly resigning.

This week, Clanton was arrested for allegedly having "s*xual intercourse with… pic.twitter.com/hNArScLOBD

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 2, 2024

“On August 1, 2024, Roberts turned herself in to Investigators without incident. She was booked into the Beauregard Parish Detention Center on the charges of LRS 14:43 – Third degree rape and LRS 14:92 – Contributing to the delinquency of juveniles. This case remains under investigation,” the Louisiana State Police wrote.

‘Glamorous female mayor, 42, who suddenly and mysteriously resigned last week has now been charged with CHILD RAPE’https://t.co/1UjeRnZkga

— Phil Mitchell:Specialist Working With Abused Males (@PhilMitchell83) August 2, 2024

From the New York Post:

A warrant for Roberts’ arrest was issued on Wednesday before she surrendered herself to the police.

Roberts was booked into Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office Jail at 10:13 a.m. and released 77 minutes later on a $75,000 bond, jail records show.

Roberts’ attorney called his client innocent while calling out law enforcement for not talking with the former mayor before her arrest.

Louisiana mayor Misty Roberts, 42, accused of raping a minor — one week after abrupt resignation https://t.co/K5hjoQv8Vq pic.twitter.com/XnDqrlZZqV

— New York Post (@nypost) August 2, 2024

Per USA TODAY:

The arrest came less than a week after Roberts resigned as mayor of DeRidder, a southwest Louisiana town of nearly 10,000 residents. On July 25, Roberts told city officials she would be out of the office for two weeks and appointed Fire Chief Ken Harlow as acting mayor while she was gone, the American Press, a Lake Charles, Louisiana news outlet, reported. She resigned two days later on July 27.

Roberts’ attorney Adam Johnson said his client is innocent in a statement to KPLC. “She has not been charged with a crime and/or convicted of any crime,” he said in the statement. “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 neighbors and we look forward to putting this unfortunate situation behind them.”

Elected in 2018, Roberts, an independent, became the first woman to become DeRidder’s mayor, The Associated Press reported. She won reelection in 2022.

A graduate of DeRidder High School in 2000, Roberts earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mass communications from McNeese State University in 2004, CBS News reported. Before becoming mayor, she was the city’s director of community service for nine years.