Roanoke Rapids police Detective Issac Nielsen was arrested by the FBI Thursday on criminal charges related to his alleged involvement with child sexual abuse material, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina said.

Nielsen, 31, is charged with the distribution and possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 30 years in prison.

A complaint is merely an accusation, the statement said, adding that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Nielsen in a 2023 photo.

City Attorney Geoffrey Davis said Nielsen remains on unpaid leave until the city goes through its policy procedures.

Nothing in Nielsen's case has been filed in the PACER system.

The statement says that according to the complaint, in May an undercover officer engaged in a chat with a user on a website known for promoting user-generated sexual content. 

During those conversations, Nielsen allegedly distributed child pornography to the undercover officer and discussed his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. 

The undercover officer’s agency determined that the user was located in North Carolina and notified the FBI. On December 1 the FBI identified Nielsen as the user, obtained a warrant, and arrested him.

Assistant United States Attorney Erin Blondel is prosecuting the case and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Raleigh Durham Child Exploitation Task Force is investigating the case.

Nielsen came to the RRPD from the Hurricane, Utah Police Department where he served as a police officer for five years, the department said in 2023.