At least one of the two New Hampshire women facing felony charges in a child sexual imagery investigation involving a Massachusetts day care center is due to appear in court Friday.
One of the women, an employee of Creative Minds daycare in Tyngsborough, has been charged with taking nude photographs of children and sending them to someone with whom she was previously in an intimate relationship, according to the US District Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.
On Thursday, authorities announced two arrests related to this case: Lindsay Groves, 38, of Hudson, New Hampshire, and Stacie Laughton, 39, of Derry, New Hampshire. Groves is the former employee of the daycare, and while Nashua police stopped short of specifying Laughton’s exact alleged role in the case, they did confirm that she was facing charges in connection with him.
Laughton is a former state representative who had previously been charged in a harassment case, Nashua police also confirmed.
Laughton is due for arraignment in Hillsborough Superior Court on Friday, according to the Nashua Police Department. Federal prosecutors said Groves will appear in federal court in Boston, which could be as soon as Friday. Both suspects are in police custody.
Prosecutors said that from May 2022 until this month, Groves took pictures of naked children during bathroom breaks before naps. A preliminary forensic review of Groves’ cell phone allegedly showed more than 2,500 text messages between Groves and the person who received the photos, with messages purported to include a discussion about the photos and the explicit photos themselves, prosecutors said.
There were at least four sexually explicit images of children who appeared to be between the ages of three and five, authorities said.
Groves is being charged with one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography, federal prosecutors said. Meanwhile, Laughton faces multiple charges of distributing child sexual abuse images.
“There were several photos of him in the bathroom where his pants were at his ankles. I burst into tears,” said the mother of a victim in the case, explaining that investigators showed up at her door and asked her to identify her son in some of the photos. “How long did this last? Where did these photos go? I want to know who will be responsible.”
Creative Minds Early Education attorneys released a statement Thursday night.
“Creative Minds Early Education is cooperating fully with law enforcement to ensure a full and extensive investigation into the allegations about a single former staff member,” the statement read. “We want to assure our families that the safety and privacy of their children (sic) is of the utmost importance. We will do everything possible to support all of our families during this difficult time. We ask that members of the media respect our privacy, as well as the privacy (sic) of our families”.
Anyone with questions about this case can call authorities at 617-748-3274. Nashua police have urged anyone with more information about the case to contact (603)-589-1665.
