CONCORD, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) A Keene woman convicted of participating in the sexual abuse of a child and documenting the assaults has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.

Krystal Baird, 40, received the sentence Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Concord from Judge Steven J. McAuliffe. In addition to prison time, she will serve 10 years of supervised release following her incarceration.

A federal jury found Baird guilty in November 2025 of aiding and abetting the production of child sexual abuse material after a five-day trial. She had been held in federal custody since her arrest in March 2024.

Prosecutors said the abuse came to light after Homeland Security Investigations uncovered sexually explicit images posted to a dark web site dedicated to child exploitation. Investigators traced the images back to a Keene residence shared by Baird and her husband, Paul Baird.

Evidence presented at trial showed that on Jan. 29, 2024, the couple was babysitting a 9-year-old child when they gave the child THC-infused candy and directed sexual acts. Paul Baird took explicit photographs of the child, and Krystal Baird also took images documenting the assault, according to court testimony. Authorities said Paul later uploaded links to three of the images online.

Prosecutors further argued that the abuse had been ongoing since at least August 2023.

Before her arrest, Krystal Baird was a licensed childcare provider in Keene. Federal officials said the position of trust she held made the crime particularly troubling.

U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan said crimes involving the exploitation of children cause lasting harm to victims and families, adding that the sentence reflects the severity of the offense. Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of New England said the jury rejected Baird’s claims that she was not responsible and emphasized the profound damage caused by the abuse.

Paul Baird previously pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the production of child sexual abuse material. He was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison. At the time of his arrest, he had been employed as a bus driver for Student Transportation of America, which serves the Contoocook Valley School District. District officials previously stated that he was not a district employee and that there was no indication the case was connected to school-related activities.

The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Keene Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Krasinski and Heather Cherniske prosecuted the case.

The prosecution was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat the sexual exploitation and abuse of children.