The Manchester West High School NJROTC teacher, Stacey Lancaster, is accused of taking part in a scheme to sex traffic a child, according to court records.
Lancaster, 46, from Hudson, is a Navy veteran who worked as the Senior Naval Science Instructor at the high school. He was arrested Friday along with Arthur Picanco, 42, of Bradford, Mass., and Ozeias Luiz Guilherme, 38, of Haverhill, Mass.
The three men were arrested as part of a “pro-active” case, according to a statement released Saturday by the United States Attorney’s Office. The men are accused of attempting to sex traffic a child at a Manchester hotel. All three are currently being held without bail and are due in the United States District Court in Concord on Monday for detention hearings.
Lancaster oversees Manchester West’s NJROTC program and served as the liaison between the school district and the U.S. Navy, according to a letter Manchester School District Superintendent Jennifer Chmiel sent parents this weekend. Right now, there’s no indication that Lancaster was attempting to sex traffic a Manchester student, Chmiel wrote.
“Mr. Lancaster has been placed on administrative leave, and the District is working closely with law enforcement agencies assigned to this case. Unfortunately, we do not have further information to provide at this time,” Chmiel wrote.
The investigation that led to the arrests is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Project Safe Childhood was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.
Members of the public with questions, concerns, or information on the case can call the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (603) 230-2563.
