A former New Hampshire state representative, Stacie Marie Laughton, has been sentenced to over 33 years in federal prison. Laughton pleaded guilty to charges involving the sexual exploitation of children, following a report from local outlet WCVB.
Laughton, 41, from Nashua, admitted to receiving nude photos of children taken at a daycare in Massachusetts. The images were received from an ex-partner, Lindsay Groves, aged 40, from Hudson, New Hampshire. Earlier this month, Groves received a 22-year prison sentence.
According to the Nashua Police Department, Laughton, a former transgender Democrat lawmaker, pled guilty to the exploitation charges. Groves had previously accepted responsibility for three counts of sexual exploitation and one of child pornography distribution. She worked at Creative Minds daycare in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, which is informed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
The investigation revealed that between May 2022 and June 2023, Groves captured images of young children during diaper changes. These photos were taken in a private bathroom and were sent to Laughton via text. Law enforcement conducted a forensic review of the cellphones that revealed over 10,000 text messages shared between Laughton and Groves in a single month in 2023.
Court documents outlined that these messages contained discussions about and transfers of explicit images of children, some as young as 3 to 5 years old. The U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed that all affected children were identified, and their families were notified.
Officials at the Hillsborough County jail have confirmed to NH Journal that Laughton is held in the male population section. Meanwhile, both the Creative Minds Early Learning Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have not provided comments in response to queries from Fox News Digital.
Alexandra Koch is a journalist with Fox News Digital, focusing on covering breaking news and events significantly impacting national discussions. Her experience includes reporting on major crises such as the L.A. wildfires, aviation incidents over the Potomac and Hudson Rivers, the Boulder terror attack, and floods in Texas Hill Country.