As the criminal case proceeds against 36-year-old Stephanie Lak on charges of possessing and sharing child sexual abuse materials, Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins is reaching out to parents and caretakers who may have had contact with the former nanny on the site Care.com.
Lak was arraigned on April 28, 2021, on a charge of possession of child pornography and distribution of material of a child in a sex act. These charges are pending in the Roxbury Division of Boston Municipal Court amid an ongoing and extensive investigation led by detectives assigned to the Boston Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Human Trafficking and Exploitation Unit. Assigned detectives and prosecutors continue to review Ms. Lak’s employment history, social media communications and other investigative avenues.
District Attorney Rollins’ office previously announced that Lak secured employment as a nanny and caregiver through the site Sittercity.com. The ongoing investigation subsequently revealed that she also had profiles on Care.com using the names “Stephanie Lak” and “Stephanie Germaine” as recently as 2019. Parents and guardians whose minor dependent(s) have been in contact with Stephanie Lak and think they could potentially be one of Lak’s victims, can email Lakinvestigation@fbi.gov and provide your name and best contact information to have a member of the investigative team contact you.
“This individual flew under the radar, gaining the trust of parents in order to gain access to children. While she is not now charged with physically abusing any of the children she cared for, we continue to investigate whether any of these children were harmed in any way. It’s important that any families who worked with Ms. Lak have access to information, guidance, support and resources,” District Attorney Rollins said. “Parents and caring adults should make sure that children know they can always speak to you about anything that makes them uncomfortable or scared without getting in trouble, and that no one who truly cares about them would ever ask them to keep secrets. If a child discloses abuse or says something that raises concern, contact the police, prosecutors or the Children’s Advocacy Center immediately. You will be met by a compassionate, multidisciplinary team to provide necessary services to help survivors and their loved ones along the journey toward healing.”
