Nov. 17 – A Manchester High School West teacher and two other men were arrested in a sting operation after they attempted to meet a minor child under the age of 18 at a Manchester hotel with the intent to have sex, federal officials said.
Stacey Ray Lancaster, 46, of Hudson, was charged with attempted sex trafficking of a minor and is on leave from the Manchester School District. According to an affidavit, the alleged crime occurred Thursday.
According to a letter from Principal Jennifer Chmiel, the arrest was not related to any student in the district.
Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation, according to a news release.
The other two arrested were Arthur Picanco, 42, of Bradford, Massachusetts, and Ozeias Luiz Guilherme, 38, of Haverhill, Massachusetts. They were also charged with attempted sex trafficking of a minor.
An undercover officer used a website “commonly used to advertise commercial sex acts,” the affidavit said.
After his arrest, Lancaster “refused to make any statements to law enforcement authorities,” the affidavit said.
The affidavit outlines how the officers lured Lancaster to the hotel, which was not identified. The undercover officer told Lancaster that he/she had two underage girls, 12 and 14, available to perform sex acts in exchange for money, the affidavit said.
Lancaster offered to pay $100 to have sex with the 12-year-old, the affidavit said.
According to the text exchange, Lancaster seemed suspicious and wrote, “Are you affiliated with any law enforcement?”
“Lancaster expressed nervousness about the transaction and asked if he could go upstairs and meet the 12-year-old girl in the hotel room,” the affidavit reads.
Lancaster was held until a hearing was scheduled for Monday at 1 p.m. in federal court in Concord.
Lancaster has been in charge of the school’s Naval Junior ROTC program and served as a liaison between the U.S. Navy and the school district, the letter to parents said.
“At this time, we have no information linking this arrest to any student in our district,” the letter said. “These are serious and disturbing charges, and we are aware that Mr. Lancaster is in custody. Mr. Lancaster has been placed on administrative leave and the District is working closely with the law enforcement agencies assigned to this case.”
Just two days earlier, Lancaster and a group of cadets from the ROTC program led the Pledge of Allegiance at the Board of School Committee.
A photo of the visit with Mayor Jay Ruais appears to have been deleted from his social media channels.
Chmiel encouraged concerned parents to contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“The safety of our students and staff is our top priority, and in addition to supporting the law enforcement investigation, we are focused on ensuring our students receive the support they need,” the letter said. “The district and school leadership teams are working together to develop a support plan for our students, and West families can expect further communication with more details on this later this weekend.”
