A former New Hampshire state representative and the nation's first self-identifying transgender lawmaker finds herself in a world of trouble.
The story began over a month ago when authorities first charged Stacie Marie Laughton, a Democrat who previously resigned twice from the state house, with distribution of explicit images involving children. (RELATED: Horrific Crime Rocks Liberal City. Was It Buried Because Of Politics?)
According to the Justice Department, Laughton's former girlfriend, Lindsay Groves, was a teacher at a Massachusetts daycare center who helped Laughton obtain sexualized pictures of the children under her care.
Groves allegedly took photographs of young children going to the bathroom and getting their diapers changed to Laughton. She has since been arrested.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced that Laughton also faces a federal charge concerning the ongoing investigation.
WHDH Boston has more:
In a statement on Tuesday, the US Attorney's office said investigators found more than 10,000 text messages between Laughton and Groves “that included discussion about, and transfer of, explicit photographs that Groves had taken…”
Among the text messages, the US Attorney's office said investigators found “at least four sexually explicit images of children who appear to be approximately three to five years old, as well as explicit descriptions of sex with each other and others, including children.”
Groves has been charged with one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography. She was arrested last month and was being held in state custody in New Hampshire as of Tuesday.
Laughton is expected to appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
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