Former Boston Nanny In Child Porn Case Pleads Guilty

BOSTON — A former nanny in Boston who once pleaded not guilty to child pornography charges in 2019 changed her mind and will now spend three years behind bars.

Stephanie Lak, 37, of Roxbury, was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography and distribution of material of a child in a sex act in April 2021.

Lak originally pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on $5,000 bail with conditions that she not have contact with children. Prosecutors had originally asked a judge to set bail at $50,000.

On Wednesday, Lak changed her plea to guilty - her attorney claiming she was "remorseful" and a victim of sexual abuse herself.

Prosecutor Nicole Poirier told the court Lak possessed "particularly horrifying" images while discussing abusing children online.

Lak's arrest came after the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children contacted the Boston Police Department's Crimes Against Children unit and reported that eight separate images of child sexual abuse were being trafficked over an IP address in Roxbury — Lak's IP address.

Boston police contacted families who may have been in touch with Lak through popular child care Websites like care.com and sittercity.com.

Police seized three smartphones and a laptop when they executed a search warrant at Lak's home on April 28. Investigators found at least seven videos and photos containing child pornography in the messaging app Kik.

Prosecutors say Lak admitted to using the username at the center of the investigation and sharing about 100 files containing material showing child sexual abuse with children as young as 3 and 5. She also discussed the abuse with other people online.

Investigators also found an online exchange with a caregiver from Minnesota where Lak encouraged the man to harm children in his care and even offered to help.

"The alleged perpetrator, in this case, is a woman," U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins said. "We as a society need to unlearn many of our ingrained assumptions regarding who commits, and who can be a victim of, sexual assault and rape."