NASHUA – A retired fire chief from Pittsfield was arrested Tuesday by Nashua police, who charged him with three felony offenses stemming from alleged drug possession as well as allegations he used a computer to solicit sex from a person he believed was a 15-year-old boy.

Leonard Deane, 59, Pittsfield, who retired as the town’s fire chief about five years ago, was taken into custody around 4:45 p.m. at a Nashua location police didn’t identify.

Deane, who was also an EMT during his career, is charged with one count each of certain uses of computer services prohibited and attempted felonious sexual assault, both Class B felonies, and one count of possession of a controlled drug – second offense, a Class A felony.

Judge Charles Temple on Wednesday ordered Deane housed on preventive detention, agreeing with the prosecutor that if Deane were to be released, he would pose a danger to the community and may present a flight risk.

Attorney Laura Maistrosky, who represented Deane during Wednesday’s bail hearing, asked Temple to set bail at $500 cash, or $5,000 cash or surety, noting that Deane “has no history” of computer solicitation offenses and just one conviction on his record – which is a drug-possession charge from Rockingham County Superior Court.

Maistrosky said she filed Deane’s employment history “to show he has very deep ties to the community,” and noted that since he retired, “he has had some struggles.”

She said Deane “never failed to show up in court” and agrees to “come back to court for all his hearings.”

Temple also ordered to have no contact with anyone under age 16.

The prosecutor, Assistant County Attorney Brett Harpster, read to the court some of the graphic references Deane allegedly made while communicating with the person he believed was the 15-year-old male.

He was actually communicating with a Nashua police detective in the department’s Computer Forensics Unit, according to police reports. Deane made arrangements through online communications to meet the “teen” in Nashua, but when he arrived, he was greeted by officers and taken into custody.

In a post-arrest interview with detectives, Deane admitted to the allegations, Harpster said.

While Harpster commended Deane as “a good man … who did good service for his community,” the state “is very concerned” about the allegations. “The state’s position is he is an absolute danger,” Harpster said.

Nashua police, meanwhile, said Deane’s arrest was part of an “investigation into the sexual exploitation of children on the Internet,” which began last month.

The investigation eventually identified Deane as a suspect, police said, “based on evidence gathered.”

Nashua police work “to combat child exploitation in New Hampshire” in partnership with the Internet Crimes against Children (ICAC) Task Force, police said.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256, dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com, or @Telegraph_DeanS.

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