A 44-year-old Oshawa, Ont., man has been arrested in connection with the discovery of a possible confinement room inside an abandoned Pickering farmhouse that later burned to the ground.

Robert Edwin White is charged with breaking and entering with intent, Durham Region police said in a news release.

Investigators allege White was responsible for building the room in the basement of the farmhouse on Concession Road 7 and had planned to use it for a criminal purpose, though they won't say exactly what. Contractors surveying the abandoned residence first discovered the room on Nov. 29 last year.

The abandoned farmhouse containing the confinement room was destroyed by fire in early January. (Tony Smyth/CBC)

The farmhouse then burned to the ground in early January in a fire that officials called suspicious.

Police said there is no indication the room had actually been used to confine someone.

"We're feeling very positive that we prevented what could have been another criminal offence," said Sgt. Nancy van Rooy.

The room measured about 12 feet by 8 feet, had been freshly painted and included chains hanging from the ceiling. The doors were crafted from layers of lumber and a source told CBC News that the windows were strong enough that a crowbar could not have broken them.

The room also contained a bench and a number of water jugs.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

White is being held in custody in Oshawa and faces a bail hearing Wednesday.