Former N.H. state rep. arrested in little one sexual abuse case at Tyngsborough day care

Crime

Stacie M. Laughton made headlines as the primary overtly transgender lawmaker elected in New Hampshire.

A former New Hampshire state consultant — who made headlines as the primary overtly transgender lawmaker elected within the Granite State — was arrested Thursday and accused of distributing sexually specific photos of youngsters.

Derry resident Stacie M. Laughton, 39, was charged with 4 counts of distribution of kid sexual abuse photos, Nashua police mentioned in a press launch. Laughton’s alleged actions got here to mild earlier this week, when people reported that Laughton had distributed sexually specific photos of youngsters, police mentioned. 

Nashua police mentioned Laughton’s case is linked to that of Lindsay Groves, a New Hampshire lady additionally arrested Thursday for allegedly taking specific pictures of youngsters on the Tyngsborough day care the place she labored. 

The 38-year-old Hudson, New Hampshire, resident was charged with one rely of sexual exploitation of youngsters and one rely of distribution of kid pornography, the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the District of Massachusetts mentioned.

Federal prosecutors mentioned in a press launch that whereas working at Inventive Minds in Tyngsborough between Could 2022 and June 2023, Groves took nude photos of youngsters and despatched the pictures to an unnamed particular person with whom she was beforehand in an intimate relationship. 

A preliminary forensic assessment of Groves’s cellphone allegedly revealed greater than 2,500 texts between Groves and the person, referred to in courtroom paperwork as “Individual 1.” In accordance with an affidavit filed in federal courtroom, Nashua police interviewed two people who mentioned Individual 1 had talked about, proven, or forwarded the express photos to them. Nashua police didn’t say whether or not Laughton and Individual 1 had been one and the identical. 

Groves is in custody and can seem in federal courtroom in Boston at a later date, the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace mentioned. Additionally going through state costs of possessing little one sexual abuse photos, she was ordered to not work in little one care, entry the web, or have unsupervised contact with anybody beneath the age of 18, Boston 25 Information reported.

Laughton, in the meantime, is being held and is due for arraignment on the Hillsborough Superior Courtroom-South on Friday, Nashua police mentioned. 

She resigned her seat within the New Hampshire Home of Representatives in December 2022 after she was arrested and accused of stalking and harassment, The New Hampshire Union Chief reported on the time. 

Laughton’s authorized troubles stretch again to 2008, when she was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank card fraud, based on the Union Chief. She had beforehand gained a seat within the New Hampshire Legislature in 2012 however resigned earlier than taking workplace after the felony conviction got here to mild, the newspaper reported.

A number of years later, Laughton admitted herself to a psychological well being and dependancy therapy facility in Vermont after she was sentenced to a suspended six-month jail time period for reporting a bomb risk at an area hospital, based on the Union Chief.

After being elected once more in 2020, Laughton was arrested as soon as extra in 2021, when she was accused of sending false emergency texts to New Hampshire’s E-911 middle, The Nashua Telegraph reported.