The woman who used her job at a daycare to create thousands of child sex abuse images for former New Hampshire Rep. Stacie Marie Laughton (D-Nashua) has entered into a plea agreement just weeks before Laughton’s own trial is set to begin.
Lindsay Groves, 40, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography in federal court in Boston on Tuesday. Each count of sexual exploitation of a child carries a possible 15- to 30-year prison sentence, and Groves could receive another 20 years for the distribution charge.
By entering into a plea agreement that requires her to testify against Laughton, Groves could get considerably less time in prison once the former state representative’s case is complete.
Groves is due for a sentencing hearing in February, when her fate will be determined.
Stacie Laughton
The stomach-churning details of the alleged crimes involve Groves and her partner, Laughton — a biological male who identifies as female — sending some 10,000 texts to each other between May 2022 and June 2023 in which the two discussed having sex with children. Groves also sent numerous explicit photos of children, many of whom were in her care at the Massachusetts daycare where she worked.
Some of the victims were as young as three years old, according to court records.
The pair has been in federal custody since their arrests in June 2023. The Federal Bureau of Prisons lists Laughton as male and last in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., as of this month.
The U.S. Marshals Service is responsible for federal prisoners detained pretrial, and the agency may send prisoners to various state and federal facilities as necessary. It’s not clear where Laughton is currently held, though he is likely closer to Boston with the trial looming. Groves also remains in the custody of the U.S. marshals pending her sentencing. The Marshals Service, like many federal agencies, is limited in its ability to respond to media inquiries during the government funding shutdown.
Laughton is a history-making Democrat in New Hampshire, though ultimately not in a good way. He was elected to the House in 2012 as the state’s first transgender lawmaker but had to resign within weeks when his criminal past came to light. Laughton was still on probation for a felony conviction, barring him from holding office.
He stuck around, however, and was elected to the House again in 2020 once his legal issues appeared to be resolved. But Laughton’s appearance of good behavior was short-lived.
In 2022, Laughton was charged with harassing Groves and her family, costing him his seat in the legislature. He was arrested in November 2022 for stalking Groves, shortly after winning reelection to the House. Laughton was jailed for weeks but remained in office until the House Democratic Caucus finally forced his resignation.
It came out during the stalking case that Laughton had called police to report that Groves was abusing children at the daycare — allegations that were then believed to be part of the ongoing harassment. Laughton is alleged to have repeatedly tried to get Groves fired from her job, claiming she was a pedophile. He reportedly made those accusations to police, on social media, and on his radio program, according to court records.
According to records in the federal case, Laughton and Groves began sharing the explicit photos and texts after the resolution of the stalking case.
Born Barry Laughton, his use of a female identity has never been complete. Laughton was housed as a male at the Valley Street Jail immediately after the June 2023 arrest and has appeared to be treated as male by federal authorities.
He was married to Lisa Laughton for many years, his alleged co-conspirator in the 2008 fraud case that led to his removal from the House in 2012. Laughton has also maintained a long-term sexual relationship with Groves. Both Groves and Lisa Laughton are biological women.
