Stacey Lancaster, Sex Trafficking, New Hampshire 2024

A federal jury has convicted Stacey Lancaster, 46, of Hudson, New Hampshire, of attempting to sex traffic a 12-year-old minor in a Manchester hotel.

According to the investigation, on November 14 and 15, 2024, law enforcement agents posted and monitored an advertisement on a website commonly used to advertise commercial sex. The advertisement contained images of what appeared to be two minor females, and a contact phone number. Agents monitored the phone line and used it to communicate with potential sex buyers, including Lancaster.

During a text conversation between an undercover agent and Lancaster, the agent stated that he/she had a 12-year-old girl available to perform sex acts in exchange for money. The agent then provided Lancaster with the address of a hotel in Manchester. Once at the hotel, the defendant met with an undercover agent and confirmed that he was in possession of the agreed upon $100 to pay for the commercial sex act, and that he would use a condom.

Lancaster was convicted of one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor. United States District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro ordered Lancaster detained pending sentencing, which is scheduled for August 18, 2025.

The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations, with valuable assistance from the Manchester Police Department, the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office, and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Krasinski and Matthew Vicinanzo are prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the DOJ's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.

Lancaster's conviction serves as a reminder of the importance of holding individuals accountable for their crimes and protecting the most vulnerable members of our society.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nh/pr/federal-jury-convicts-stacey-lancaster-attempting-sex-traffic-minor-manchester-hotel