A New Hampshire woman who worked at a Massachusetts day care center is scheduled to appear in federal court Wednesday to face charges that she took sexually explicit photos of children between the ages of 3 and 5 and sent them to a former partner.
Lindsay Groves, 38, of Hudson, New Hampshire, was charged last week with sexual exploitation of children and distribution of child pornography. According to federal investigators, he took nude photos of children at the Creative Minds Early Learning Center in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, in a private bathroom during pre-nap breaks and texted them to “someone I previously had a relationship with.” an intimate relationship”. Court documents show there are more than 2,500 text messages between Groves and the individual.
His initial court appearance is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. Wednesday at the Moakley Federal Courthouse in Boston. It is unclear if she will appear in person.
Massachusetts authorities did not identify Groves’ former partner. But according to Nashua police, the same investigation led to the arrest of a former state legislator accused in New Hampshire of distributing images of child sexual abuse.
Stacie Laughton, 39, of Derry, resigned from the New Hampshire House of Representatives in December after being accused of stalking Groves. Court documents do not name an attorney for Groves and it is unclear if Laughton has an attorney speaking for her.
Laughton, a Democrat, has a long arrest record. In 2012, he was believed to be the first transgender person elected to a state legislature, but he resigned before taking his seat after reports emerged about his 2008 convictions for identity fraud and falsifying evidence. She successfully ran again in 2020 and was re-elected in 2022 to represent Nashua, months after being convicted of repeatedly texting 911 during non-emergencies. She resigned in December after being jailed on the Groves-related charges.
The daycare did not respond to a phone message but has reportedly closed and is cooperating with the investigation.
NBC10 Boston spoke with a mother who said her son is one of the victims of Creative Minds. She said investigators showed up at her door Wednesday and asked her to identify her 3-year-old son in some of the photos.
“There were several photos of him in the bathroom where his pants were at his ankles. I broke down in tears,” she said.
The mother said her son started behaving differently a few months ago, but she had no idea what was wrong. She said that he will never return to Creative Minds, but he wants more answers.
“How long did this last? Where did these photos go? I want to know who will be responsible,” he said.
The case against Groves is part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The US Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts asks members of the public with questions or concerns about Groves to call 617-748-3274.
