A pediatrician accused of hosting disturbing 'nude sleepovers' with children has been found dead in Washington state just days after police moved to arrest him.

Michael R. Wilmington, 61, was discovered dead in Lewis County near Vancouver on May 2 in what law enforcement have described as an apparent suicide, shortly after a felony warrant was issued accusing him of first-degree child molestation.

The case began with a cyber tip and quickly spiraled into a multi-agency investigation rocking communities across the Portland-Vancouver region.

Wilmington's death is an abrupt turn to what appears to be an expanding child sex abuse investigation that had already led to another man's arrest. 

The investigation was first launched in February 2026 when the Vancouver Police Department received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children linking child sex abuse material to a Vancouver IP address.

Detectives traced that digital trail to Chad Hartley, 36, who was taken into custody on April 29.

Police then executed a search warrant at Hartley's home, where they say they uncovered evidence leading to a host of serious charges. 

He was booked into the Clark County Jail on four counts of dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, four counts of possession of such material, and first-degree child molestation.

Court filings later added even more severe allegations, including first-degree trafficking.

During the course of that investigation, detectives uncovered a connection between Hartley and Wilmington, a pediatrician affiliated with multiple medical facilities across the region.

Police have not detailed the nature of that relationship but said the link led them to Wilmington's home in La Center, Washington State.

There, investigators say they uncovered troubling evidence.

According to police, Wilmington hosted 'naked sleepovers' involving young children at his residence.

Authorities served a search warrant at the home on April 30 and seized 'numerous items of evidence.'

Late last week, on May 1, detectives said they had obtained additional information tying Wilmington to the molestation of a child at his home, prompting the issuance of a felony arrest warrant.

But before that warrant could be served, Wilmington was found dead the following day.

The Lewis County Sheriff's Office is now leading the death investigation, which officials have described as an apparent suicide.

His death has complicated an already disturbing case, leaving investigators to continue piecing together the extent of the alleged abuse and the nature of his connection to Hartley, who was pictured in court documents obtained by KGW.

Wilmington had worked at multiple facilities in the Portland-Vancouver area, including a role with Kaiser Permanente.

In a statement, Kaiser Permanente said it was informed of the allegations on April 30 and took immediate action.

'We immediately terminated his employment, privileges and access to all facilities and systems. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement, who informed us of Dr. Wilmington's death,' the organization said.

'The allegations in this matter are serious, and our primary concern is for our patients, their families, and our workforce.'

The healthcare provider added that it has reassigned Wilmington's patients to other physicians to ensure continuity of care and urged anyone needing support to come forward.

Authorities say the investigation remains active, with both the Vancouver Police Department and the Clark County Sheriff's Office working to identify any additional victims or witnesses.

Police are urging anyone who may know of children who had unsupervised contact with either Hartley or Wilmington to contact local law enforcement.