Stacie Marie Laughton, a 39-year-old former New Hampshire state representative, has been charged with aiding and abetting the sexual exploitation of children, according to federal prosecutors in Boston. These charges stem from a case involving Laughton's former partner, Lindsay Groves, who was previously charged with taking explicit photos of children at a Massachusetts daycare center where she worked.

Investigators discovered over 10,000 text messages exchanged between Laughton and Groves, which allegedly included discussions about, and the transfer of, explicit images of children estimated to be between 3 and 5 years old. Groves, 38, allegedly took these photos at the Creative Minds Early Learning Center in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, and sent them to Laughton. Groves is currently in custody in New Hampshire.

Laughton, a Democrat, previously resigned from the New Hampshire House in December following stalking charges related to Groves. This isn't Laughton's first resignation. In 2012, after becoming what was believed to be the first transgender person elected to a state legislature, Laughton resigned before even taking office due to prior convictions for identity fraud and falsifying evidence. Despite this, she successfully ran for office again in 2020 and was re-elected in 2022 before her most recent resignation.

The charge of sexual exploitation of children carries a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison.