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A New Hampshire high school teacher was arrested after being caught in an underage sex trafficking sting operation, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Four other men from New Hampshire and Massachusetts were caught in the operation.

‘It is our reasonable belief the defendant was negotiating for sex with a minor while he was at work at school.’

Homeland Security agent Lori Robinson said in an affidavit that they posted a fake advertisement Thursday on an online commercial sex site, and when interested customers contacted them, they were told to meet at a hotel.

One of those who allegedly responded and went to the motel expecting sex with a 12-year-old female victim was 46-year-old Stacey Ray Lancaster. He is a teacher at Manchester’s West High School, where he oversees the ROTC program.

Lancaster allegedly texted in response to the ad, asking, “Can you send me there pictures? Also is cash ok? It be ready around 3:15.”

“It is our reasonable belief the defendant was negotiating for sex with a minor while he was at work at school,” said assistant U.S. attorney Matthew Vicinanzo at a hearing about Lancaster.

Charging documents said that Lancaster allegedly met with an undercover officer in the parking lot of the hotel and directed her to touch him in a sexual manner in order to confirm that she wasn’t a law enforcement official. He also touched her in a sexual manner.

He was charged with attempted sex trafficking of a minor.

The school said he was placed on administrative leave, and students were offered counseling over the arrest.

Lancaster reportedly has two minor children by his ex-wife, who lives in Bahrain, and also has two minor stepchildren from his current wife.

Magistrate Judge Andrea K. Johnstone cleared him to be released for home detention at his mother’s house. Johnstone ordered that he stay off of social media, surrender his passport, and avoid unsupervised contact with children as conditions to the release.

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