A New Hampshire woman was arrested Thursday for allegedly sexually exploiting children between the ages of 3 and 5 years old while working at a daycare in Tyngsborough, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
Lindsay Groves, 38 of Hudson, N.H., is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography, the U.S. attorney’s office said in a statement. Groves, who worked at Creative Minds daycare, allegedly took nude images of children and sent the photos to an individual with whom she was previously in an intimate relationship.
She allegedly took the photos during the children’s bathroom breaks and during routine diaper and pull-up changes prior to their naptime, prosecutors said. She took multiple photos of the prepubescent children in a private bathroom and then sent the photos to the individual via text message.
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“A preliminary forensic review of Grove’s cellphone allegedly revealed over 2,500 text messages between Groves and the individual,” prosecutors said. “These messages allegedly included discussion about, and transfer of, explicit photographs that Groves had taken of children while employed at Creative Minds – including at least four sexually explicit images of children who appear to be approximately three to five years old.”
Groves faces a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted of sexual exploitation of children, prosecutors said. She also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted of distribution of child pornography
Groves is currently in custody, will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date, prosecutors said. Anyone who questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.
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The investigation into the case is ongoing, prosecutors said.
Adam Sennott can be reached at adam.sennott@globe.com.