Former N.H. state rep., Mass. daycare worker shared child abuse images for over a year

A former New Hampshire state representative and her partner, a former Massachusetts daycare worker, pleaded guilty to taking photos of prepubescent children during diaper changes and sharing them for more than a year.

Lindsay Groves, 40, of Hudson, N.H., is a former employee of the Tyngsborough, Mass. daycare called Creative Minds. She pleaded guilty on Oct. 14 to three counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Former New Hampshire State Representative Stacie Marie Laughton, 41, of Nashua, N.H. — Groves’ former romantic partner — pleaded guilty on Nov. 3 to three counts of sexual exploitation of children.

Groves will be sentenced Feb. 4, 2026, and Laughton on Feb. 12, 2026, according to an announcement on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. They were both arrested, charged and indicted in the summer of 2023.

While working at Creative Minds from May 2022 to June 2023, Groves took nude images of children during diaper changes in a private bathroom before nap time and then texted them to Laughton.

Investigators found that in a single month in 2023, Groves and Laughton exchanged more than 10,000 text messages that were either explicit images or a discussion about the images. This included at least four pictures of children between three and five years old, the office said.

All of the children who were involved in this case have been identified and their families have been contacted by law enforcement, the office said.

The charge of sexual exploitation of children carries 15 to 30 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

The CSAM distribution charge carries 5 to 20 years in prison, the same supervised release terms and up to a $250,000 fine. A federal judge will decide their sentences in February 2026.