In a shocking development that has rocked the political landscape, America's first openly transgender lawmaker has pleaded guilty to disturbing child sex crimes involving victims as young as three years old.
Guilty Plea in Federal Court
Stacie-Marie Laughton, the 41-year-old former Democratic New Hampshire state representative, admitted to charges of sexual exploitation of children in Boston federal court. The biological male who identifies as female now faces the possibility of spending up to three decades in federal prison for these horrific crimes.
According to federal prosecutors, the case involves four explicit photographs of children believed to be between three and five years old. These images were sent to Laughton by former partner Lindsay Groves, who worked at Creative Minds daycare in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts.
Daycare Abuse Scheme Uncovered
Court documents reveal that Groves took the disturbing photographs in the bathroom of the daycare facility where she worked between May and June 2022. Federal prosecutors stated that Groves used natural bathroom breaks for the children to capture the illegal images.
The investigation uncovered that Laughton had specifically requested Groves to take these nauseating pictures. Evidence presented in court showed the former couple exchanged thousands of text messages discussing the explicit images of young children.
Both individuals were indicted in August 2023 on three counts of sexual exploitation of children. Last month, Groves also pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children and distribution of child pornography in federal court.
Legal Consequences and Past Controversies
Laughton now faces between 15 and 30 years in federal prison for the sexual exploitation charges. Additional penalties could include a lifetime of supervised release and fines reaching $250,000.
This isn't the first time Laughton has faced legal troubles. The former lawmaker was previously forced to resign twice from the New Hampshire House due to separate legal issues. In 2008, Laughton had three felony convictions for credit card fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud.
Laughton had been hailed as a history-maker following their election to the New Hampshire House in 2012, becoming the first openly trans lawmaker in the United States. Both defendants are scheduled for sentencing in February, where they will learn their fate for these devastating crimes against children.
