Amongst other news the mainstream media let slip through the cracks is this week’s report that New Hampshire’s first transgender state Representative sexually exploited children by distributing child pornography.
According to a statement released by the United States Attorney General for the District of Massachusetts, Stacie-Marie Laughton, 39, was arrested on Wednesday and arraigned at Hillsborough Superior Court the following day on multiple counts of “distribution of child sexual images.”
On Tuesday, prosecutors released information that a preliminary forensic review of a cell phone belonging to Laughton’s girlfriend, Lindsay Groves, revealed more than 10,000 text messages allegedly discussing and transferring sexually explicit photos of children between the ages of three and five.
Some text messages revealed the couple fantasizing with each other about sexual intercourse with the young children.
Grove, 38, was also arrested on the same day on one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography. Groves was working at a daycare located in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts at the time and was accused of taking pictures of children in her care.
Notably, Laughton was able to run for state representative despite maintaining a previous criminal history including felony convictions which kept “her” from taking office in 2012. Reports unveiled Laughton’s convictions for identity fraud and falsification of evidence in 2008.
Despite the felony convictions, Laughton then ran again in 2020 and even won re-election in 2022. According to the Associated Press, Laughton resigned from the New Hampshire House of Representatives in December after being charged with stalking Groves.
The Washington Examiner states that sexual exploitation of children convictions “carry a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.”
Distribution of child pornography convictions have a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison.
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