Former New Hampshire state legislator Barry ‘Stacie’ Laughton, a Democrat who was elected three times to the state House of Representatives, pleaded guilty this week to federal charges of sexual exploitation of children.

Laughton, 41, faces up to 30 years in prison in connection with the case, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Laughton, of Nashua, New Hampshire, was charged in 2023 alongside former intimate partner Lindsay Groves, who previously worked at a Massachusetts daycare center.

This is Stacie Laughton. He’s the first transgender elected state rep and was arrested for child porn.

The DOJ charged him last week with child exploitation.

He has a criminal history dating back to 2008.

Eric Swalwell campaigned for him for office in 2022. pic.twitter.com/Zho4PouXtD

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 25, 2023

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Federal prosecutors said the pair were involved in the exchange of sexually explicit photographs of children that Groves produced while employed at the facility.

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According to the Department of Justice, “a preliminary forensic review of Groves’ cellphone allegedly revealed over 10,000 text messages between Laughton and Groves that included discussion about, and transfer of, explicit photographs that Groves had taken of children while employed at Creative Minds daycare—including at least four sexually explicit images of children who appear to be approximately three to five years old, as well as explicit descriptions of sex with each other and others, including children.”

Groves admitted last month to taking the images and sending them to Laughton. He pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography.

Laughton pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children and aiding and abetting.

Federal investigators said the communications between Laughton and Groves contained detailed exchanges about the photographs and that the pair discussed the content in explicit messages.

Prosecutors noted that Laughton had requested the photographs, which were sent via text from Groves’s cellphone.

The DOJ said the charge of sexual exploitation of children carries a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, followed by a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge in accordance with the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable statutes.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Massachusetts State Police with assistance from local law enforcement agencies. Federal prosecutors in Boston are handling the case.

According to WMUR, the guilty plea was entered in U.S. District Court in Boston.

Officials said four photographs of children believed to be between the ages of three and five were sent to Laughton.

The images were identified as having been taken inside the daycare facility where Groves worked at the time.

Laughton was first elected to the New Hampshire House in 2012, becoming one of the first openly transgender legislators in the state.

He resigned before taking office after prior criminal convictions came to light.

Laughton was later reelected twice but resigned again following additional legal issues unrelated to the current case.

Both Laughton and Groves remain in custody as federal authorities prepare for sentencing proceedings.

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