A woman accused of taking child sex abuse images at a Massachusetts day care where she worked and sending them to her former partner has been released from federal custody on several conditions.
Lindsay Groves was given permission to await trial at her parents' home in Hudson, New Hampshire, Chief Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell wrote in a decision Friday.
Groves is accused of taking sexually explicit photos of children in her care over two months at Creative Minds Early Learning Center in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, from May to June, 2022. Federal prosecutors allege that Groves and Stacie Marie Laughton, who were once in a relationship, send thousands of text messages including and discussing the sexually explicit photos.
Among the conditions of Groves' release are that she won't be able to have children under 18 visit and that she won't have access to her iPhone or, through password protection and device removal, her parents' devices.
"Hence, the defendant will not be able to access the internet or send text messages of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct to Laughton or anyone else," Cabell wrote.
Groves and Laughton, a former New Hampshire state representative who had previously been charged in a stalking case, have both faced state charges as well in the case.
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Laughton's mother previously spoke with NBC10 Boston and said that her daughter had done nothing wrong and did not ask for any photos to be sent to her.
Attorneys for Creative Minds Early Education previously issued a statement to NBC10 Boston:
Creative Minds Early Education is cooperating fully with law enforcement to ensure a complete and extensive investigation into the allegations regarding a single former staff member," the statement said. "We want to ensure our families that their children's safety and provacy [sic] is one of the utmost importance. We will make every effort to support all of our families during this difficult time. We are requesting that members of the media please respect our privacy as well as the provacy [sic] of our families.
A family of one of the alleged victims has filed a lawsuit against the day care, claiming negligence.
Anyone with questions or concerns about the investigation can contact authorities at 617-748-3274.
