Technical Trouble Delays Sentencing For Trans Ex-State Rep. In Child Sex Abuse Images Case

By Damien Fisher, NH Journal

Technical difficulties kept former New Hampshire state Rep. Stacie Laughton (D-Nashua) from being sentenced Thursday as scheduled. But court filings made it clear he is likely to face decades in prison for the sex crimes he committed with his girlfriend, Lindsey Groves.

Once hailed as one of the “LGBTQIA+ Democrats who are the backbone of the Granite State,” prosecutors describe Laughton as an angry, manipulative predator who exploited the mentally challenged Groves to satisfy a perverted lust for children, according to court records.

“[Laughton’s] criminal history reflects a theme: entitlement, aggression, and manipulation,” Assistant Attorney General Anne Paruti wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed this week in U.S. District Court in Boston.

Paruti is asking Judge Dennis Saylor to sentence Laughton to 40 years in prison on three counts of possession of child sexual abuse material. Groves was sentenced Tuesday to 22 years for her role in the enterprise. Groves used her position at a Massachusetts daycare to take nude photos of three different children, all under age 3. She then shared the photos with Laughton as the couple discussed their depraved sexual fantasies, which included child rape, according to court records.

Laughton was scheduled for a sentencing hearing Thursday, but it was pushed back at the last minute after defense attorney Derege Demissie told Saylor technical problems prevented him from discussing the government’s sentencing memorandum with his client. Laughton is now expected to appear in the Boston courthouse on June 18.

Laughton was the Granite State’s first openly transgender state representative, and he gave the appearance of a progressive politician who had learned from a difficult past. But Paruti says that was all an act that hid Laughton’s devious true self.

“Laughton … had recently occupied a position of public trust as an elected official, held [himself] out as a ‘reverend,’ and aspired to be the voice of the community as a radio personality. These aspirations reveal delusions of grandeur that are completely at odds with [Laughton’s] demonstrated pattern of criminality, manipulation and inability to take responsibility for [his] actions,” Paruti wrote.

Laughton exploited Groves for years before the child sex abuse image crimes, according to court records. Groves has an undisclosed neurological condition, suffered bullying and loneliness, and lived with her parents her entire life, according to her attorneys, Jessica Thrall and Eliza Jimenez. When Groves fell under Laughton’s spell, he began stealing from her through credit card fraud, according to court records.

Laughton drove Groves to take nude photos of the daycare children. When Groves finally stood up to Laughton in 2023 and broke off their relationship, Laughton started telling people in his court-ordered therapy that Groves was a pedophile, even reporting her to Nashua police, according to court records.

Laughton deleted the incriminating text messages from his cellphone but was apparently unaware that investigators could still prove the crime with Groves’ phone.

Laughton’s crimes go back years, and beyond what had been previously known, according to the government’s sentencing memorandum. While the record in federal court is still partially sealed, Paruti’s memorandum includes redacted highlights from the pre-sentencing investigation:

“Homeless defendant slapped and grabbed the crotch of friend at whose house defendant was staying, ‘by accident.’”

“Defendant lied about slashing victims’ tires until confronted with surveillance video.”

“Defendant falsely accused [tire slashing victim] of assault.”

“Defendant and wife fraudulently opened credit card in third party’s name and lied about it until confronted with physical and documentary evidence.”

“Defendant threatened [tire slashing victim] with knife.”

“Defendant made bomb threat to hospital because of frustration with purported misdiagnosis, and deleted call logs.”

Both Laughton and Groves pleaded guilty last year after years of being held without bail on the federal charges. Prosecutors wanted a 35-year sentence for Groves, while Groves asked for 18 years. Her 22-year sentence, imposed by Saylor, strikes a middle ground and reflects that Groves, while accountable for her actions, was being manipulated by Laughton.

Laughton’s attorney will have the opportunity to make a counterproposal before the June 18 hearing.

This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.