Former New Hampshire State Representative Receives Lengthy Prison Sentence for Child Sex Abuse Material
A transgender former New Hampshire state representative has been sentenced to over three decades in federal prison after admitting to receiving explicit images of children. Stacie Marie Laughton, 41, of Nashua, received a sentence of more than 33 years following a guilty plea to charges of sexual exploitation of children.
Laughton obtained the graphic images from a former intimate partner, Lindsay Groves, 40, of Hudson, New Hampshire. Groves was sentenced earlier this month to 22 years in prison. Court documents indicate that Groves, who previously pleaded guilty to multiple counts including sexual exploitation of children and distribution of child pornography, was employed at the Creative Minds daycare in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts.
Authorities have stated that between May 2022 and June 2023, Groves captured numerous photos of prepubescent children in a private bathroom during routine diaper changes. These images were then transmitted to Laughton via text message.
A forensic examination of the cellphones belonging to Laughton and Groves uncovered a significant volume of communication, with over 10,000 text messages exchanged within a single month in 2023. Court filings reveal these messages included discussions and transfers of explicit content involving children, some as young as 3 to 5 years old.
Officials have confirmed that all identified child victims in the case have had their families notified by law enforcement. Records from the Hillsborough County jail indicate that Laughton has been housed within the male population.
