A former New Hampshire state representative and the nation’s first transgender-identifying state lawmaker was arrested by police this week and charged for allegedly distributing child pornography.
Stacie Marie Laughton, a Democrat who previously resigned twice from the New Hampshire state house, is now facing four counts of distributing sexually explicit images of children. Laughton was born Barry Charles Laughton, Jr.
Nashua Police Department public information officer Sgt. John Cinelli said that police were called to respond to a juvenile incident on Tuesday and were then told that the former lawmaker had been distributing explicit images. On Thursday, police searched Laughton’s house and arrested him.
Former state Rep. Stacie Marie Laughton of Derry, the first openly transgender person elected to the N.H. House of Representatives, was arrested Thursday by Nashua police on charges alleging distribution of child sexual abuse images, officials said. https://t.co/PvICV9bGnm
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“They spoke with reporting parties that indicated Laughton distributed sexually explicit images of children,” Cinelli said, according to Patch. “Detectives from the special investigations division were assigned to further the investigation. They applied for and were granted a warrant for Laughton’s arrest.”
Laughton is slated to be arraigned on Friday at the Hillsborough County Superior Court-South.
The 39-year-old has been plagued by repeated legal troubles in the past. In 2008, he was convicted of credit card felony, according to the New Hampshire Union-Leader. In 2012, Laughton became the first transgender-identifying person elected as a state lawmaker, thrilling LGBT activists.
“I believe that at this point, the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community will hopefully be inspired,” Laughton said at the time. “My hope is that now maybe we’ll see more people in the community running, maybe for alderman. Maybe in the next election, we’ll have a senator.”
Shortly after the election, Laughton stepped down after the credit card fraud allegations came to light. Laughton was later sentenced to six months in jail after reporting a bomb threat to a hospital in 2015. In July 2021, Laughton was arrested for giving police false information.
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Laughton won election to the state house again in November 2022, only to step down in December after accusations of stalking. Laughton had been arrested on stalking charges twice in 2022, including an incident in September just months before the election.
“I’m alive, I’m safe, I’m well,” Laughton said in a Facebook video at the time, announcing he was leaving politics. “I’m not suicidal, and just trying to get by every day with what I’ve been dealt. I don’t know what the future holds but I do know this — there’s a lot of good opportunities out there for me to serve, and a lot of good opportunities for me to still stay connected with everyone and I plan to do that.”