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Authorities Charge Mayor With Raping Juvenile Days After Resignation

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Image not from story. Wikimedia Commons/Public/Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0

Ilan Hulkower Contributor
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Misty Roberts Clanton, the 42-year-old ex-mayor of the city of DeRidder, was arrested Thursday over allegations that she had sex with a juvenile, the Louisiana State Police (LSP) write in a press release.

Roberts resigned from her office Saturday, KPLC reported. (RELATED: Police Arrest Rapper Lil Reese On Rape Charges: REPORT)

“For nearly 15 years, my love and passion for DeRidder has been my foundation while serving as Mayor,” she wrote in a statement to DeRidder City Council Members obtained by the outlet that day. “However, I must adjust my focus and priorities. Please accept this letter as my formal resignation, effective today.”

The former mayor turned herself in to authorities following the LSP Special Victims Unit (SVU) launching an investigation on July 26, the press release reads. The police allege that they “conducted interviews with two juveniles, one of which was the victim. Both juveniles confirmed Clanton had sexual intercourse with one juvenile victim while employed as Mayor.”

Clanton was booked under the charges of 3rd degree rape and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles, according to the LSP.

Clanton was released under a $75,000 bond, KPLC reported. Adam Johnson, Clanton’s attorney, told the outlet in a statement that his client “maintains her innocence and, as it stands, she is in fact innocent. … And we trust the public will respect her constitutional presumption of innocence which is fundamental to our system of justice.”

Clanton was DeRidder’s first female mayor and was in her second term of office, Best of SWLA reported in May. She had reportedly planned to run for a third term. She had divorced her husband in the past few years, according to the outlet. She told the outlet that the divorce “was a personal decision” and “there was nothing salacious that led to it” when addressing public discussion regarding the matter.

“I’m far from a feminist, but through this experience I’ve learned there are a group of people who expect women to be perfect — to look and act a certain way,” she reportedly said. She had children from the marriage, the outlet noted.

DeRidder is a town with a little under 11,000 people, Best of SWLA reported.