Small-town mayor Misty Roberts — who resigned last week — is now accused of raping a minor during her tenure.
The now-former mayor of tiny DeRidder, Louisiana had taken a leave of absence before quitting.
Roberts, 42, has now been charged with third-degree rape and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles, Louisiana State Police announced on Thursday.
Cops say the investigation into Roberts — who had been serving her second term in office — kicked off on July 26. The Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office asked state police to investigate a complaint against Roberts.
“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,” a statement read.
She surrendered to detectives on Wednesday after a warrant had been issued for her arrest. Roberts was booked into the county jail and released 77 minutes later on a $75,000 bond.
The ex-mayor’s legal eagle declared his client innocent and lambasted cops for not speaking to her before issuing the warrant.
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“It is my honour to represent Misty Roberts. My client learned late last night of a warrant, despite not being contacted to be interviewed prior to investigators obtaining the warrant,” Adam Johnson told NBC affiliate KPLC. “My client maintains her innocence and, as it stands, she is in fact innocent.”
He added: “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 neighbours and we look forward to putting this unfortunate situation behind them.”
On July 26, Roberts announced she was taking a two-week leave of absence. Now, the town fire chief is the acting mayor.
A day later, she submitted a letter of resignation.
“For nearly 15 years, my love and passion for DeRidder has been my foundation while serving as Mayor,” Roberts wrote.
“This role has rewarded me with many great relationships. I am humbled to have witnessed the hard work that took a community to come together and overcome through unprecedented times. However, I must adjust my focus and priorities.”
DeRidder is in the western part of the state, about 30 kilometres from the state border with Texas. Its population is just under 10,000 people.