Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A former daycare worker from Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, and a former New Hampshire State Representative have pleaded guilty to charges related to child exploitation and child pornography.
Lindsay Groves, 40, of Hudson, New Hampshire, admitted guilt on October 14, 2025, to three counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography. Her sentencing is set for February 4, 2026. Stacie Marie Laughton, 41, of Nashua, New Hampshire—who previously served as a state representative—pleaded guilty on November 3, 2025, to three counts of sexual exploitation of children. Laughton's sentencing is scheduled for February 12, 2026.
Both individuals were arrested in June and July of 2023 following criminal complaints and were indicted by a federal grand jury in July that year.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, Groves was employed at Creative Minds daycare in Tyngsborough between May 2022 and June 2023. During this period, she took nude photographs of children during routine bathroom breaks and sent them via text message to Laughton. Investigators found over 10,000 text messages exchanged between Groves and Laughton in about one month in 2023. These included discussions about explicit photos taken by Groves at her workplace. At least four sexually explicit images depicted children estimated to be between three and five years old.
Authorities have identified all minor victims involved in the case and notified their families.
Sentencing guidelines stipulate that each count of sexual exploitation of children carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years up to a maximum of 30 years in prison. The charge also includes at least five years up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine up to $250,000. Distribution of child pornography carries penalties ranging from five to twenty years’ imprisonment with similar terms for supervised release and fines. Final sentences will be determined by the federal district court judge based on applicable statutes and guidelines.
"United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Nashua (N.H.) Police Chief Kevin Rourke made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire; Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office; and the Hudson, N.H. Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Soto and Anne Paruti of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case."
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies (https://www.justice.gov/psc).
