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A woman accused of taking inappropriate photos of children at a Massachusetts daycare center is set to be released from federal custody.
Announced in a court document filed on Friday, the maneuver will see the release of Lindsay Groves, 38, on the condition that she live with her parents while awaiting trial and that no children under the age of 18 visit the house.
The motion comes just over a month after Groves and his former partner, Stacie Marie Laughton, 39, of Nashua, were each charged with three counts of child sexual abuse.
Prosecutors allege Groves was working at Creative Minds, a day care center in Tyngsborough, when she allegedly took nude images of napping children and sent them to his girlfriend Laughton – who at the time was the whole New Hampshire’s first elected trans legislator.
Authorities said the photos – allegedly accompanied by illicit discussions – were taken between May 2022 and June 2023 and contained at least four sexually explicit images of three 3-year-old children.
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Accused of taking inappropriate photos of children at a Massachusetts daycare center, Lindsay Groves is set to be released from federal custody following her arrest in June, after a judge ruled the evidence against her did not constitute an uncontested committal. .
The motion comes just over a month after Groves and his former partner Stacie Marie Laughton, 39 (pictured), were charged with three counts each of child sexual exploitation Laughton, who was charged with stalking her ex in December, remains incarcerated
That said, US District Court attorneys for the District of Massachusetts ruled that was not enough to keep the defendant incarcerated – despite admitting in their case that ‘the weight of evidence against (her) is strong’ .
That evidence includes a forensic examination of Groves’ cell phone which allegedly revealed more than 10,000 text messages between her Laughton – whose Live Free of Die State House of Representatives stint spanned from 2020 to 2022 – many of which are incriminating.
The Justice Department documents laid bare their troubling correspondence, but are too gruesome to reproduce.
It showed how the duo – who were also charged with distributing child pornography in the potentially damning document – fantasized about sexually assaulting young children. Groves was in charge of supervising, largely during naps and bathroom breaks at the Tyngsboro facility.
Their alleged conversations were detailed in full in charging documents, with prosecutors accusing the couple of engaging in sordid exchanges solely for their sexual gratification.
Prosecutors also shared at least one cellphone interaction in which Laughton, a trans woman who lived near Nashua, asked Groves to pet a little boy at daycare — which the staff member was allegedly told obliged.
Authorities said the photos were taken over more than a year, between May 2022 and June 2023.
Following an investigation into the alleged behavior, Fed apprehended the two women on June 22 – less than six months after Laughton resigned from the New Hampshire House after being accused of harassing Groves after their relationship broke down. apparently collapsed.
Prosecutors allege Groves was working at Creative Minds, a day care center in Tyngsborough, when she allegedly took nude images of napping children and sent them to his then-girlfriend Laughton – who was at New Hampshire’s very first trans legislator at the time.
Groves, right, sent Laughton, right, the sordid messages for more than a year while she worked at daycare. She was previously in an intimate relationship with Laughton, whom she accused of harassment last December, forcing her to quit
Laughton, a former New Hampshire House representative who is transgender, has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2002
Both were charged together on July 27 with four counts: three of sexual exploitation of children, and one of aiding and abetting and one count of distributing child pornography.
They both pleaded not guilty and have remained in a New Hampshire state holding cell since their respective arraignments in June. While Groves is now set to be released, Laughton remains incarcerated – until his trial which has yet to be set.
The Nashua Police Department said it launched an investigation into the two women after receiving an anonymous tip about their alleged behavior, ultimately leading them to file the pending case against them.
US Magistrate Donald Cabell conceded on Friday that “the weight of evidence against (Groves) is strong” he believes the terms of release can be designed to address any “risk” and “reasonably ensure the safety of the community”. .
Stipulations designed to ensure this include Groves not having access to his iPhone while under house arrest, and having his parents’ devices password protected and removed from the house when they are away from home.
The legal officer added that a hearing will be held for Groves on Friday so officials can fully explain the terms of the release, about a month and a half away from his first appearance in federal court.
Such luxury was not afforded to Laughton, who was born male and was elected to the New Hampshire House in 2012.
Despite her criminal past, Laughton still ran for a second term in 2022 and was elected to represent Nashua, New Hampshire, and won – until she was forced to resign due to harassment allegations by his ex.
Laughton blamed his past criminal behavior on mental illness and untreated conditions.
The charge of sexual exploitation of children can lead to a sentence of up to 30 years in prison
That said, a long list of prior offenses ranging from identity theft to evidence tampering barred her from serving — due to state laws prohibiting convicted felons from holding office until the final execution of their sentence.
She was later forced to resign and begin a 10-year probation sentence following a 2008 felony conviction for credit card fraud.
Other offenses include one for domestic violence/criminal mischief in 2002 and a charge of sexual assault against a woman – while Laughton still identified as a man – in 2003.
She was arrested in 2015, records show, this time for issuing a bomb threat to the Southern New Hampshire Medical Center.
In 2021, she was handcuffed for abusing the state’s 911 texting system.
Despite her criminal past, Laughton managed a second term in 2022, elected to represent Nashua Hillsborough District 3 with Democrats Cote and Fred Davis. Republican Joost Baumeister lost one of the seats by just 100 votes.
Since his last arrest, Laughton has blamed his past criminal behavior on mental illness and untreated conditions. When she stepped down from her House series lead in 2022, she posted a video on social media about her issues promising to run for the third time.
“As of today, I am no longer a state representative, which is very disappointing, but I will come back to this,” Laughton said, according to the New Hampshire Labor Leader.
“I’m going to attend mental health court and get some advice and try to get my life back on track. I’m not perfect.
“Even in the future, I still won’t be perfect, but I will be a better version of myself and better able to handle the situations that come my way. Two years from now, in the next state election, I will I will present myself again as a representative of the State.
In the meantime, the authorities’ investigation into the two women is still ongoing. They urge anyone with knowledge of the duo’s alleged actions to come forward and report them to the State of Massachusetts.
Groves’ hearing, meanwhile, is scheduled for Friday at the Moakley U.S. Courthouse in Boston.