CONCORD, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) A federal jury has found a former Keene childcare provider guilty of producing child sexual abuse material after a disturbing series of incidents involving a 9-year-old child, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.

After a five-day trial in U.S. District Court, 40-year-old Krystal Baird was convicted of aiding and abetting the production of child sexual abuse material. She has been in federal custody since March 2024 and now faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 11, 2026, before Judge Steven J. McAuliffe.

Prosecutors said that on Jan. 29, 2024, Krystal and her husband, Paul Baird, were babysitting a 9-year-old child when they gave the child THC-infused candy and then directed the child to engage in sexual acts. Evidence showed that Paul Baird photographed the assault, while Krystal Baird took additional photos documenting the abuse.

Investigators said Paul Baird later posted sexually explicit images of the child on a dark web site devoted to child pornography. Testimony also revealed that the couple had been drugging and abusing the victim since at least August 2023.

Before her arrest, Krystal Baird was a licensed childcare provider.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Keene Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Krasinski and Heather Cherniske as part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 to combat child exploitation and abuse.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.