A former New Hampshire state representative, Stacie Marie Laughton, will serve over 33 years in federal prison. Laughton, aged 41, admitted to receiving nude photos of children from a Massachusetts daycare. This verdict follows a report by local outlet WCVB.
Laughton received the explicit images from an ex-partner, Lindsay Groves, aged 40, from Hudson, New Hampshire. Earlier this month, Groves was sentenced to 22 years in prison. According to the Nashua Police Department, Laughton pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children.
Groves was employed at Creative Minds daycare in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, as noted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. She previously pleaded guilty to multiple counts of sexual exploitation and distribution of child pornography.
Between May 2022 and June 2023, Groves took numerous photos of prepubescent children. These were taken in a private bathroom during regular diaper changes and before nap time. The U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed Groves sent these photos to Laughton via text message.
A forensic review revealed over 10,000 text messages exchanged between Groves and Laughton in one month during 2023. These messages contained discussions and transfers of explicit images of children, some as young as three years old.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office identified all children involved in the case. Law enforcement officials reached out to their families. Officials from the Hillsborough County jail confirmed Laughton is housed within the male population.