A woman accused of taking inappropriate photos of children at a Massachusetts nursery is released from federal custody.
Announced in a court document filed Friday, 38-year-old Lindsay Groves will be released on the condition that she lives with her parents while she awaits trial, and that no children under the age of 18 visit the home.
The motion comes just over a month after Groves and her former partner, 39-year-old Stacie Marie Laughton, of Nashua, were charged on three counts each of child sexual exploitation.
Prosecutors allege that Groves was working at Creative Minds, a daycare center in Tyngsborough, when she allegedly took nude photos of sleeping children and sent them to her then-girlfriend Laughton — who was New Hampshire’s first-ever elected trans lawmaker at the time.
Authorities said the photos – reportedly 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 nursery, Lindsay Groves is being released from federal custody following her June arrest after a judge said the evidence against her does not constitute unchallenged incarceration
The motion comes just over a month after Groves and her ex-partner, 39-year-old Stacie Marie Laughton (pictured), were each charged three times with child sexual exploitation charges. Laughton, who was accused of stalking her ex in December, remains in custody
That said, lawyers from the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts have decided that wasn’t enough to detain the accused ghoul — despite admitting in their filing that “the evidence against (her) is strong” .
Such evidence includes a forensic examination of Groves’ cell phone that reportedly revealed more than 10,000 text messages between her Laughton — whose stint with the Live Free of Die State’s House of Representatives lasted from 2020 to 2022 — many of them incriminating.
Justice Department documents expose their disturbing 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.
Their alleged conversations were fully detailed in indictment documents, with prosecutors accusing the pair of engaging in the sordid exchanges solely for their sexual gratification.
Prosecutors also shared at least one cell phone interaction in which Laughton, a trans woman living in nearby Nashua, instructed Groves to caress a little boy at the day care center — which the employee allegedly obliged to do.
Authorities said the photos were taken over the course of more than a year, between May 2022 and June 2023.
Following an investigation into the alleged conduct, Fed arrested both women on June 22 — less than six months after Laughton resigned from the New Hampshire House after being accused of stalking Groves after their relationship apparently fell apart.
Prosecutors allege Groves was working at Creative Minds, a daycare center in Tyngsborough, when she allegedly took nude photos of sleeping children and sent them to her then-girlfriend Laughton — who was New Hampshire’s first-ever trans lawmaker at the time
Groves, right, Laughton, right, sent the sordid messages for over a year while she worked at the nursery. She previously had an intimate relationship with Laughton, whom she accused of stalking last December, forcing her to resign
Laughton, a former New Hampshire House Representative who is transgender, has a long criminal history dating back to 2002
Both were indicted together on July 27 on four counts: three counts of child sexual exploitation, one count of complicity and one count of distribution of child pornography.
They have both pleaded not guilty and have been detained in the state of New Hampshire since their respective charges in June. While Groves is now about to be released, Laughton remains incarcerated – until her trial has yet to be set.
Nashua police said they launched an investigation into both women after receiving an anonymous tip about their alleged behavior, which eventually led them to build the current case against them.
US Attorney General Donald Cabell admitted on Friday that while “the evidence against the (Groves) is strong,” he believes the terms of release can be modified to address any “risk” and “reasonably enhance the safety of the community.” to assure’.
Provisions put in place to ensure this include preventing Groves from accessing her iPhone while under house arrest, and having her parents’ devices password protected and removed from the house when they are not home.
The lawyer added that a hearing will be held Friday for Groves so officials can fully explain the terms of the release, about a month and a half away from her first appearance in federal court.
There was no such luxury for Laughton, who was born male and was previously 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 her ex’s stalking claims.
Laughton has blamed her past criminal behavior on mental illness and untreated conditions.
The charge of child sexual exploitation can lead to a prison sentence of up to 30 years
That said, a laundry list of past offenses ranging from identity theft and falsification of evidence left her unable to serve — due to state laws that prohibit convicted felons from holding office until the final discharge of their sentences.
She was subsequently forced to resign and begin a 10-year probation following a 2008 credit card fraud conviction.
Other offenses include one for domestic violence/criminal mischief in 2002 and a sexual assault charge against a woman – when Laughton still identified as a man – in 2003.
She was arrested in 2015, records show, this time for voicing a bomb threat against Southern New Hampshire Medical Center.
In 2021, she was handcuffed for misusing the state’s 911 text messaging system.
Despite her criminal past, Laughton ran for a second term in 2022, elected to Nashua’s Hillsborough 3 district along with Democrats Cote and Fred Davis. Republican Joost Baumeister lost one of the seats by just 100 votes.
Since her most recent arrest, Laughton has blamed her past criminal behavior on mental illness and untreated conditions. When she resigned from her House Seed in 2022, she posted a video on social media about her troubles and pledged to join for a third time.
“As of today, I am no longer a state representative, which is very disappointing, but I will get back to it,” Laughton said, according to the Leader of the New Hampshire Union.
“I will go to mental health court and get some counseling and try to get my life back on track. I am 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 deal with situations that come my way. In two years’ time, the next state elections, I will run for state representation again.’
The authorities’ investigation into both women is still ongoing. They are urging others with knowledge of the duo’s alleged actions to come forward and report them to the state of Massachusetts.
Meanwhile, Groves’ hearing is scheduled for Friday at the Moakley US Courthouse in Boston.