Police investigating Poppi Worthington death arrest man over missing laptop

♦ A man has been arrested over a missing laptop on which the father of Poppi Worthington watched porn on the night the 13-month-old was sexually abused and died.

Paul Worthington, 50, told police he viewed “adult X-rated” porn on the laptop but officers failed to seize it.

It was one of a series of failures by Cumbria Police who lost vital evidence during their investigation which meant no one has been prosecuted over Poppi’s sexual abuse and death.

Mr Worthington said he had sold the laptop to another man.

After criticism of the investigation, the force made an arrest, last week, five years after Poppi’s death, which they said related to the laptop.

A spokesman said: “Officers arrested a 39-year-old man called Wayne Roebuck, from Barrow-in-furness, on suspicion of assisting an offender and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of Class A – MDMA. The man has been released under investigation.”

The Crown Prosecution Service ruled last week that despite courts three times having found that Mr Worthington probably sexually abused his daughter before her sudden death, he would not face charges due to a lack of evidence. Mr Worthington denies any wrongdoing and is now living in hiding with the help of police protection.