A man was found dead Thursday in his home on Auburn Road in Peru after an hourslong standoff with police there to arrest him on sex offense charges.

The 46-year-old man was not identified as the investigation continued Friday, according to a news release from Maj. Dana Thompson of the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office in Paris.

About 3:30 p.m. Thursday, the Maine State Police Tactical Team assisted the Sheriff’s Office in serving a search warrant and an arrest warrant charging the man with gross sexual assault and unlawful sexual contact, Thompson said.

The man “refused to surrender peacefully which resulted in hours of negotiations in an effort to end the incident peacefully,” he said.

“The suspect was alone inside the residence and during the negotiations he doused the residence with gasoline, threatened to burn the house down and threatened suicide. After several hours of unsuccessful negotiations, law enforcement entered the residence and found the suspect deceased.”

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the Office of the Maine Attorney General were notified, along with the man’s family, Thompson said.

A section of Route 108, which is also Auburn Road, was closed for several hours. The Peru Fire Department and local rescue services assisted, according to the release.