A Roanoke Rapids police investigator has been arrested federally for possession and transmission of child sexual abuse material, City Manager Kelly Traynham said in a statement this evening.

As of this report, nothing on Isaac Nielsen had been filed in the federal electronic database PACER.

City Attorney Geoffrey Davis said of Nielsen’s current employment status, “Procedurally, he’s on unpaid leave right now, at this moment, but I expect that status to change once the procedural aspects of the personnel matter are concluded.”

Traynham said on Tuesday that senior staff of the Roanoke Rapids Police Department were contacted by the FBI and members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force regarding their active investigation into the conduct of Nielsen.

“These federal law enforcement agencies had developed evidence that Investigator Nielsen had violated federal law concerning the possession and transmission of child sexual abuse material,” she said. “Upon receiving this report, RRPD command staff took immediate steps to cooperate and assist in the apprehension of Investigator Nielsen without incident.”

Traynham said that the RRPD and the city of Roanoke Rapids treat allegations of misconduct by law enforcement officers with the highest degree of seriousness and are cooperating fully with federal officials.

“We would like to thank the FBI and the US Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina for their swift actions upon developing probable cause that a law enforcement officer had violated the law in this manner,” Traynham said.

She added that in addition to a criminal matter, this situation is also a city personnel matter.

“Like any personnel matter, the city must handle it according to NC law and our own internal policies and procedures. As such, city administration and the RRPD cannot comment further, at least until this process is concluded,” she said. “The city of Roanoke Rapids is committed to maintaining a workplace that is safe and respectful for all employees.”

Nielsen came to the city from Utah, the city council learned at a meeting in 2023.

He is a Marine Corps veteran who in 2023 had been tasked with starting a project with the American Legion to help the police department identify people in the city who might have PTSD.

In July, he was one of two officers awarded a lifesaving commendation for leading a man to safety following a May house fire on Henry Street.