A trans-identified male who was the first openly transgender person to be elected to a state legislature has been sentenced to 33 years in prison for charges that include sexual exploitation of children.

Per Reduxx, Stacie Marie Laughton, born Barry Charles Laughton Jr, was sentenced on Tuesday, while Lindsay Groves, Laughton’s former partner, was sentenced to nearly 22 years. Laughton was first elected as a Democratic representative in New Hampshire, and was first elected to the role in 2012. He ultimately withdrew from the role before officially taking office after it was revealed he had served four months in prison in 2008 on felony fraud charges. He ultimately ended up winning and serving in the state legislature between 2020 and 2022.

Laughton had first been charged in 2023 after a report was given to the Nashua Police Department in New Hampshire that Laughton had sent child sex abuse images to another person, who brought the images to police. Police confirmed that Laughton had sent four images to the person over text messages depicting the genitalia of young children.

In an interview with NPD, Laughton admitted to receiving child sex abuse images from Groves, who had been an employee the Creative Minds Early Learning Center in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts. Groves admitted to police that she took the images, and said it was after Laughton, who expressed a sexual interest in children, had asked her to.

Through a search warrant, authorities found over 10,000 messages exchanged between the two, which included explicit discussion of the sexual abuse of children. Groves had taken explicit images of children at her job and sent them to Laughton, including images of children as young as three. Groves had told the young children to expose their genitals for the camera, with photos being taken during bathroom breaks or diaper changes.

On the day before the duo’s arrests, June 13, 2023, Groves sent Laughton a photo of a girl and a boy, both three years old, who had their genitalia exposed. Groves wrote, “I took these for you today so I’m horny.”

Laughton replied, “I like that I would like to see more of the p*ssy but I like that it[’s] f*cking hot,” and asked, “Is that one of the girls we get to play with[?]” Groves claimed that neither victim “gave her an issue.”

Laughton wrote, “That girl looks sweet … Do you think she would like sucking me and me rubbing my d*ck on her?” Groves replied, “yes,” with Laughton adding, “It’s just a bummer she wont let me put my d*ck inside of her.” Groves noted that the female victim was “not even 3 yet.”

In a separate set of messages sent the following day, Laughton wrote, “And I’m sorry I talk so much but the other thing I think about is do you think God is OK with us being bad girls[?]”

He added, “[Some people] say having sex with kids is a bad thing and God never addresses sex with children in the Bible and God never really condemns say different sexual lifestyles but what do you think? Do you think we still have a place in heaven? Do you think God would still be OK with me being a minister[?]” Reduxx revealed that Laughton became a minister earlier in 2023.

Laughton’s defense sought a sentence of just over 17 years, claiming their client was a “complex 42-year-old woman” and an “ordained minister who championed civil rights including transgender rights and stood for increased minimum wage and mental health care for college students.” The sentencing memo reportedly placed the majority of the blame on Groves.