A former New Hampshire state legislator and one-time partner of a woman who has been charged with taking sexually explicit photos of children at a Massachusetts daycare center has also been implicated in the case, according to federal prosecutors on Tuesday.

Stacie Marie Laughton, 39, of Nashua, New Hampshire, is facing charges for aiding and abetting the sexual exploitation of children, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney's office in Boston.

Court records have not listed a defense attorney for Laughton, who is scheduled to appear in court at a later date. Lindsay Groves, 38, of Hudson, New Hampshire, was charged last month with the sexual exploitation of children and distribution of child pornography. She allegedly took nude photos of children at Creative Minds Early Learning Center in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, and sent them to another individual via text.

On Tuesday, prosecutors revealed that a preliminary forensic examination of Groves' cellphone allegedly showed over 10,000 text messages between Laughton and Groves. These texts allegedly included discussions about, and transfers of, explicit photos that Groves had taken of children who appear to be between 3 to 5 years old.

Currently, Groves is in state custody in New Hampshire, and her federal public defender has not commented on the situation.

Laughton, a Democrat, resigned from the New Hampshire House in December after he was charged with stalking Groves.

In 2012, Laughton was reportedly the first transgender person elected to a state legislature. However, he resigned before taking his seat after reports about his 2008 convictions for identity fraud and falsifying evidence came to light. He ran successfully again in 2020 and was re-elected in 2022, but he resigned in December after being jailed on charges related to Groves.

The charge of sexual exploitation of children could lead to a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.