Topline: The sentence follows a federal investigation into explicit images transmitted between the former lawmaker and a daycare worker.
Published: June 22, 2026 6:00 am ET
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Stacie-Marie Laughton (via Nashua Police Department)
BOSTON — A former New Hampshire state representative was sentenced to 33 years in federal prison for her role in a child exploitation scheme involving explicit photos taken at a Massachusetts daycare center.
U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV handed down the sentence following a federal investigation into the transmission of child sex abuse images, according to court records obtained by PEOPLE.
Stacie Marie Laughton, 41, of Nashua, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in November 2025 to three counts of sexual exploitation of children. The federal charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison per count.
The investigation began in June 2023 when the Nashua Police Department received reports that Laughton had shown explicit images of children to other adults, according to a federal criminal complaint. Law enforcement officials later conducted a forensic review of digital devices.
The review revealed 10,000 text messages exchanged over a one-month period in 2023 between Laughton and Lindsay Groves, as per a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Groves, 40, was a former daycare worker in Massachusetts and the partner of Laughton. The text messages included discussions and the electronic transfer of sexually explicit photographs of children, federal prosecutors reported.
According to court documents, Groves used bathroom breaks at the facility to take nude photographs of children. The children depicted in the photographs were between the ages of 3 and 5, according to the Department of Justice.
Groves pleaded guilty in October 2025 to three counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography. Her sentencing hearing took place in federal court in February 2026, as reported by WCVB.
Laughton was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives as a Democrat representing Nashua. She was the first openly transgender person elected in New Hampshire and served in the position from 2020 until her resignation in December 2022 following separate state charges.
The prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative designed to locate and prosecute individuals who exploit children, according to federal authorities.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Former State Rep. Stacie Laughton Gets 33 Years in Child Pornography Case
The sentence follows a federal investigation into explicit images transmitted between the former lawmaker and a daycare worker.
By Kate Byrd
Published: June 22, 2026 6:00 am ET
Stacie-Marie Laughton (via Nashua Police Department)
BOSTON — A former New Hampshire state representative was sentenced to 33 years in federal prison for her role in a child exploitation scheme involving explicit photos taken at a Massachusetts daycare center.
U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV handed down the sentence following a federal investigation into the transmission of child sex abuse images, according to court records obtained by PEOPLE.
Stacie Marie Laughton, 41, of Nashua, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in November 2025 to three counts of sexual exploitation of children. The federal charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison per count.
The investigation began in June 2023 when the Nashua Police Department received reports that Laughton had shown explicit images of children to other adults, according to a federal criminal complaint. Law enforcement officials later conducted a forensic review of digital devices.
The review revealed 10,000 text messages exchanged over a one-month period in 2023 between Laughton and Lindsay Groves, as per a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Groves, 40, was a former daycare worker in Massachusetts and the partner of Laughton. The text messages included discussions and the electronic transfer of sexually explicit photographs of children, federal prosecutors reported.
According to court documents, Groves used bathroom breaks at the facility to take nude photographs of children. The children depicted in the photographs were between the ages of 3 and 5, according to the Department of Justice.
Groves pleaded guilty in October 2025 to three counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography. Her sentencing hearing took place in federal court in February 2026, as reported by WCVB.
Laughton was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives as a Democrat representing Nashua. She was the first openly transgender person elected in New Hampshire and served in the position from 2020 until her resignation in December 2022 following separate state charges.
The prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative designed to locate and prosecute individuals who exploit children, according to federal authorities.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Former State Rep. Stacie Laughton Gets 33 Years in Child Pornography Case
The sentence follows a federal investigation into explicit images transmitted between the former lawmaker and a daycare worker.
By Kate Byrd
Published: June 22, 2026 6:00 am ET
Stacie-Marie Laughton (via Nashua Police Department)
BOSTON — A former New Hampshire state representative was sentenced to 33 years in federal prison for her role in a child exploitation scheme involving explicit photos taken at a Massachusetts daycare center.
U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV handed down the sentence following a federal investigation into the transmission of child sex abuse images, according to court records obtained by PEOPLE.
Stacie Marie Laughton, 41, of Nashua, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in November 2025 to three counts of sexual exploitation of children. The federal charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison per count.
The investigation began in June 2023 when the Nashua Police Department received reports that Laughton had shown explicit images of children to other adults, according to a federal criminal complaint. Law enforcement officials later conducted a forensic review of digital devices.
The review revealed 10,000 text messages exchanged over a one-month period in 2023 between Laughton and Lindsay Groves, as per a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Groves, 40, was a former daycare worker in Massachusetts and the partner of Laughton. The text messages included discussions and the electronic transfer of sexually explicit photographs of children, federal prosecutors reported.
According to court documents, Groves used bathroom breaks at the facility to take nude photographs of children. The children depicted in the photographs were between the ages of 3 and 5, according to the Department of Justice.
Groves pleaded guilty in October 2025 to three counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography. Her sentencing hearing took place in federal court in February 2026, as reported by WCVB.
Laughton was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives as a Democrat representing Nashua. She was the first openly transgender person elected in New Hampshire and served in the position from 2020 until her resignation in December 2022 following separate state charges.
The prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative designed to locate and prosecute individuals who exploit children, according to federal authorities.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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