First trans lawmaker, Stacie-Marie Laughton, admits to child sex charges

Former Democratic New Hampshire state Rep. Stacie-Marie Laughton, the first openly trans lawmaker in the US, has recently pleaded guilty to disturbing child sex charges involving young children in a daycare setting. The 41-year-old, a biological male who identifies as female, admitted to charges including sexual exploitation of children in a Boston federal court last week, potentially facing up to 30 years in federal prison.

The charges stem from explicit images of children believed to be between 3 to 5 years old that were sent to Laughton by their former partner, Lindsay Groves. Groves, who worked at a daycare in Tyngsborough, Mass., took the horrifying pictures in the bathroom of the facility and shared them with Laughton. The two engaged in thousands of text messages discussing the disturbing images, as revealed by federal prosecutors.

Both Laughton and Groves were indicted in August 2023 on three counts of sexual exploitation of children. The explicit images were taken between May and June 2022 at the Creative Minds daycare where Groves was employed. Groves reportedly used natural bathroom breaks for the children to capture the illicit photos, according to court documents.

Laughton’s fall from grace is particularly striking as they were previously hailed as a trail-blazer after being elected to the New Hampshire House in 2012. However, this is not the first time Laughton has faced legal troubles, having been forced to resign twice from the New Hampshire House in the past for separate issues, including felony convictions in 2008 for credit card fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud.

The sentencing for Laughton and Groves is scheduled for February, with sexual exploitation of children carrying a severe penalty of between 15 to 30 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, and a hefty fine of up to $250,000. The case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of safeguarding children and the consequences of exploiting innocent lives for one’s own gratification.