Maine State Police: Prior to his death, Nadeau was investigated for child sexual exploitation
March 25, 2026 | By Lisa ScagliottiThis story was updated on March 26.
Maine State Police announced on Wednesday that former Skowhegan, Maine, Town Manager Nicholas Nadeau was under investigation for online child sexual exploitation at the time of his death last week.
Lindsey Chasteen, Director of Operations with the Maine Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, confirmed on Thursday, March 26, that Nadeau’s death on March 19 was by suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Prior to becoming permanent town manager in Skowhegan in October, Nadeau worked as interim manager there for several months — a position he held while also working as interim town manager in Fairfax, Vermont, for much of 2025.
Nadeau was Waterbury’s recreation director for four years, from 2018 until 2022, during which time he ran a summer youth recreation day camp and an after-school program for elementary school students during the school year. Nadeau left Waterbury in mid-2022 to become town administrator in Blue Hill, Maine, for a year.
Wednesday’s news release from the Maine State Police said that its Special Victims Unit initiated an investigation earlier this month after receiving a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children with a tip from a 14-year-old girl in Florida who reported inappropriate online communication with an adult male.
The tip resulted in an investigation into 32-year-old Nadeau, a resident of Winslow, Maine, and at the time of his death last week, the investigation was in its preliminary stages, police said. Nadeau was not charged with any crime.
The police report said that “investigators identified evidence consistent with sexual exploitation offenses,” but that due to Nadeau’s death, the case is now closed and no charges will be filed. “Investigative resources will be focused on other active cases,” police said.
Reached by email Wednesday afternoon, Maine State Police public information officer Shannon Moss said that investigators would not be releasing any further details about potential victims in this case. However, Moss added, “I can tell you that we are not aware of any complaints originating from Vermont.”
The Morning Sentinel newspaper in Waterville, Maine, reported in greater detail based on a police probable cause affidavit filed with the Augusta District Court to support a search warrant request. The paper reported that the warrant was granted and executed at Nadeau’s home on March 6, less than a month after the initial tip was reported to the national hotline on Feb. 10.
“They seized several cellphones, computers and other electronic devices, according to court filings,” the paper reported. It also noted that a second search warrant was executed on Thursday, the day Nadeau died.
Citing court records, the newspaper account says Maine State Police investigators were looking into “allegations that he attempted to solicit sexually explicit images from a teenage girl, sent her explicit images of himself and child sexual abuse material of other girls and exposed himself to her in a video call.”
Skowhegan town officials on Tuesday appointed town official Donnie Zaluski as interim town manager to succeed Nadeau. On Wednesday, Zaluski issued a statement saying that local officials did not learn of “state and federal investigations into what appeared to be conduct unrelated to Nick’s work for the town of Skowhegan.” The statement added that Nadeau was not the subject of any town investigation.
In Waterbury, Interim Municipal Manager Bill Woodruff said he was unaware of any complaints involving Nadeau during the time Nadeau was employed as recreation director. The town’s Facebook post acknowledging Nadeau’s passing was updated on Wednesday afternoon with the following statement: “Since our initial post, we have learned of an investigation by Maine State Police into serious allegations involving former Recreation Director Nick Nadeau. We recognize the seriousness of this information and understand its impact on the community. During his tenure with the Town of Waterbury, Nick was not the subject of any allegations or investigations of this nature. We will not speculate further and respect the ongoing investigative process.”
Waterbury Roundabout reached out to Fairfax Town Manager Mike Bishop with a similar inquiry, but has not received a reply.
Wednesday’s news from Maine State Police came after local officials and community members in Maine and Vermont learned the news of Nadeau’s sudden death and shared their reactions and condolences in public statements and social media posts. The reactions garnered comments praising Nadeau for his dedication in the various municipal roles he has held in recent years in both states. In contrast, Wednesday’s reactions to the news of the investigation registered surprise and concern given the serious nature of the allegations that were revealed.
Authorities in Maine acknowledged the effort it takes for individuals to report crimes such as those involving abuse of children.
“The Maine State Police recognize the courage of those who come forward in these types of cases. Their willingness to report these incidents plays an important role in protecting others and helping law enforcement identify and investigate these crimes,” the state police statement notes.
Anyone who may have been a victim or a parent who suspects their child may have experienced abuse is encouraged to report it to their local law enforcement agency or to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: missingkids.org or 1-800-843-5678.